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24/07/2002
Thousands gather to remember murdered Catholic
A crowd of over 5,000 people from across Northern Ireland, and the religious divide, have attended a rally in Belfast in memory of 19-year-old Gerard Lawlor who was murdered by the UFF on Sunday night.
People gathered at the spot on Floral Road in north Belfast where the Catholic father of one was killed in a show of solidarity with the family of victim.
During the procession, Father Dan Whyte, who administered last rites to Gerard, sent out a clear message to the government and to those who murdered Mr Lawlor.
"We demand that the authorities respect our feelings, that they listen to us. We, the decent people, are the backbone of our society and we demand that the authorities pay attention to our demands," he said.
Grief-stricken Siobhan Ramsbottom, Gerard's fiancé, and mother to their 18-month-old son John, spoke of the "nightmare" of losing him.
"It is like a nightmare, this shouldn't have happened to him. He was such a good person. We were trying to build proper life together but you can't really do that in Northern Ireland," she said.
The murder of Gerard Lawlor, described by his UFF killers as a "measured military response" to republican violence, was top of the agenda in talks between Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams and Secretary of State John Reid on Monday. Prime Minister Tony Blair delivered his assessment of the peace process earlier today.
Police have renewed their appeal for information in relation to the murder. Detectives want to hear from anyone who may have seen two men who were on a dark-coloured motorcycle in the Floral Road area at around midnight. The motorcycle was later seen travelling down the Antrim Road towards the city centre.
Police would also like to trace the occupants of a white car, possibly a Toyota, which was see turning into Floral Road at the time of the shooting.
This latest killing lends further weight to the argument that paramilitary groups are frequently breaking their so-called ceasefires, rendering them meaningless. More so yesterday as the PSNI released figures showing that since the first IRA ceasefire in 1994 both loyalist and republican paramilitary groups have been linked to 153 murders. A further 433 people have been injured in a total of 1,350 shooting incidents have occurred during the eight-year lifespan of the paramilitary ceasefires.
(GMcG)
People gathered at the spot on Floral Road in north Belfast where the Catholic father of one was killed in a show of solidarity with the family of victim.
During the procession, Father Dan Whyte, who administered last rites to Gerard, sent out a clear message to the government and to those who murdered Mr Lawlor.
"We demand that the authorities respect our feelings, that they listen to us. We, the decent people, are the backbone of our society and we demand that the authorities pay attention to our demands," he said.
Grief-stricken Siobhan Ramsbottom, Gerard's fiancé, and mother to their 18-month-old son John, spoke of the "nightmare" of losing him.
"It is like a nightmare, this shouldn't have happened to him. He was such a good person. We were trying to build proper life together but you can't really do that in Northern Ireland," she said.
The murder of Gerard Lawlor, described by his UFF killers as a "measured military response" to republican violence, was top of the agenda in talks between Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams and Secretary of State John Reid on Monday. Prime Minister Tony Blair delivered his assessment of the peace process earlier today.
Police have renewed their appeal for information in relation to the murder. Detectives want to hear from anyone who may have seen two men who were on a dark-coloured motorcycle in the Floral Road area at around midnight. The motorcycle was later seen travelling down the Antrim Road towards the city centre.
Police would also like to trace the occupants of a white car, possibly a Toyota, which was see turning into Floral Road at the time of the shooting.
This latest killing lends further weight to the argument that paramilitary groups are frequently breaking their so-called ceasefires, rendering them meaningless. More so yesterday as the PSNI released figures showing that since the first IRA ceasefire in 1994 both loyalist and republican paramilitary groups have been linked to 153 murders. A further 433 people have been injured in a total of 1,350 shooting incidents have occurred during the eight-year lifespan of the paramilitary ceasefires.
(GMcG)
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A generally dry and bright day with some sunny spells. However, thicker cloud could give patchy rain at first near North Channel coasts, perhaps the odd shower breaking out in the west later in the afternoon. Maximum temperature 16 °C.Tonight:Any showers in the west soon dying out, dry for most with some clear spells. Showery outbreaks of rain could develop across parts of the south overnight. Minimum temperature 7 °C.
