Northern Ireland

Jamie Bryson warns dissidents over threats to 'loyalist leadership figures'

Loyalist activist Jamie Bryson speaking at a a rally in opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol, organised by West Tyrone United Unionists, in Castlederg, Co Tyrone, on Thursday. Picture by Liam McBurney, Press Association
Loyalist activist Jamie Bryson speaking at a a rally in opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol, organised by West Tyrone United Unionists, in Castlederg, Co Tyrone, on Thursday. Picture by Liam McBurney, Press Association Loyalist activist Jamie Bryson speaking at a a rally in opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol, organised by West Tyrone United Unionists, in Castlederg, Co Tyrone, on Thursday. Picture by Liam McBurney, Press Association

LOYALIST activist Jamie Bryson has warned dissident republicans that an attack on his community "would have significant, and ultimately unwanted consequences, but consequences nonetheless".

Mr Bryson made the remark at an anti-Protocol rally in Newbuildings, Co Derry, on Saturday, attended by DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, TUV leader Jim Allister and PUP councillor Russell Watton.

The activist – who has insisted he is not a member of any paramilitary organisation – was speaking after ONH (Óglaigh na hÉireann) vowed to target loyalist leaders if republicans are attacked.

Masked and armed members of ONH told an Easter Rising commemoration in Belfast last week: "We continue to monitor the activities of the UVF and UDA in light of recent actions, and if loyalists target republican and nationalist communities, we will target loyalist leadership figures."

In his speech to the rally on Saturday, Mr Bryson described ONH as "delinquents", who "armed with automatic weapons, issued threats towards the unionist and loyalist community".

"These people should stop issuing threats not only against loyalists and unionists, but against their own community who they seem to torture and bully more than anything else," he said.

"These so-called dissidents, so prevalent in Londonderry and beyond, are little more than thugs, drug dealers, petty criminals and informers.

"Unionism and loyalism has made no threats to anyone from the nationalist community, and indeed any such threat would be wrong."