Ballymoney Councillor John Finlay has condemned the weekend attacks on Rasharkin Orange Hall. This is the forth time the hall has been attacked this year with sectarian slogans painted over the building. John Finlay has pointed the finger directly at dissident republicans and called for the offenders to be caught and brought before the courts.
John said:
“I out rightly condemn these attacks, which have been the forth set on this particular hall in the last year. These attacks are not just acts of vandalism, but attacks on our Orange culture and heritage and on Protestants, demonstrated by the painting of sectarian slogans. These thugs should take a long hard look at themselves and their actions and see what they have achieved.
In my opinion it is a minority of people seeking to drive Protestants out of the local area and raise tensions. They are simply seeking a reaction. I would therefore call upon the local Unionist community not to stoop to the level of these vermin and not to retaliate.
These attacks are just too regular and I call upon the local republican community and PSNI to act. Such people are vermin existing within our society out to disturb the peace in the run up to the Twelfth of July.
I therefore call upon leaders in the Republican community to act, condemn these attacks and engage with their community to see that they stop and that the perpetrators are brought before the courts.” the DUP Councillor said.
