Government "must amend law
on compensation"
Secretary of State Shaun Woodward must amend the criminal
damage legislation to compensate the Orange Order in the
wake of arson attacks on Orange halls, it was claimed
yesterday.
Grand Master Robert Saulters and Grand Secretary Drew
Nelson spoke out after two arson bids on halls in the
Tandragee and Portadown areas within hours of the beginning
of the New Year.
A blaze at Tandragee's Scarva Road hall, which is also
used as a Sunday school and for prayer meetings, is thought
to have been started deliberately on New Year's Day.
Police believe it was set alight at around the same time
as a fire at Ballylisk Orange Hall on the road between
Tandragee and Portadown.
Arsonists smashed several windows at Ballylisk hall before
pouring in flammable liquid and setting it alight.
The two halls are located just a mile from Ballyworkan
Orange Hall, which was attacked by arsonists before Christmas.
Mr Saulters said since 1971 there has been 288 arson
attacks on Orange halls, 50 of which were completely destroyed.
In 2007, 27 halls were targeted by arsonists, he said.
It's understood there have only been five convictions
in relation to these 288 attacks.
"We have met the Secretary of State and the Chief
Constable and called for more resolute action to deal
with this campaign, but they seem unable to do anything,"
Mr
Saulters said. "I believe the answer lies with the
Secretary of State who, with the stroke of a pen, can
amend the Criminal Damage Compensation Act to make it
easier to rebuild our halls or indeed any halls which
are maliciously damaged."
This he said would remove the incentive to attack Orange
and other community halls.
"We have been making this point for several years
now and it was our number one priority in the document
we gave both major unionist parties before the St Andrew's
talks," Mr Saulters said.
"The Orange Order is totally cornmitted to playing
a positive role in the future of Northern Ireland but
it seems that evil people are determined to attack our
culture and heritage. We need the support of government
but so far it has been sadly lacking."
Mr Saulters also appealed for cairn following the recent
attacks urging no one in the Protestant community where
feelings have been "running extremely high"
to take the law into their own hands.
Meanwhile, Mr Nelson said he believed the nature of the
arson attacks were escalating.
"The attacks are escalating because for both of
these halls (in the Tandragee and Portadown area) the
perpetrators entered the hall and lit fires in two different
places," he said.
"This is an escalation of the previous attempts
and a much more determined effort to completely burn the
halls down. When we met the Secretary of State on the
Friday before Christmas we asked him yet again to make
a minor amendment to the criminal damage legislation in
Northern Ireland to bring Orange halls and other community
halls into the same compensation category as agricultural
property and merchant shipping.
"We believe that would remove the incentive for
people to burn community halls."
Kyle Ellison, District Master for Tandragee where the
July 12 celebrations will be held this year, said the
proper response to the arsonists would be to make it the
best Twelfth in the history of Co Armagh. 3rd
January 2008 News Letter
Click on the related links below
Police must act
firmly to halt arsonists
Republican campaign bid to apply pressure on Assembly
Arsonists set fire
to Orange Hall
"Our
culture under attack"
"A blatant display
of sectarian hatred"
Miniisters slam spate of
fires at Orange halls
Hall arsons 'aim
to breed strife'
Attacks on
Orange Halls "orchestrated"
Second arson
attack on Orange Hall
Rise in attacks
on Orange Halls
Large
boulder breaks Orange Hall window
"We will
rebuild Orange Hall"
Order hits
out at third attack in same area
Orange anger
as two halls attacked
Vandals daub
paint at Ardmore Orange Hall targeted again
Memorabilia
is lost in fierce blaze at Co. Tyrone Orange Hall
Seagoe Orange
Hall gutted in arson attack
Shinner (Sinn Fein member)
falls off Orange hall roof
Paint is thrown
at Orange Hall
Car destroyed
after Orange parade in Convoy
50 Orange Order
halls attacked since start of July
Orange
hall attacks investigated
Three Orange
halls attacked by vandals
DUP
MLA blasts Sinn Fein after halls are attacked
Apprentice
Boys hall is attacked
'Cultural
war against us must end'
Order hits out
at Orde over attacks on halls
Overnight attacks
at Orange Halls
Arrests after
Orange Hall attack
Orange hall
hit by fire attack is to be rebuilt
Orange Hall
attack is condemned
Say sorry for
Orange hall attacks, Order tells Adams
Orange Hall
targeted in attempted arson
Attempted arson on Orange Hall
Attacks on
Orange halls increase to 225
Sectarian Attack on Orange Hall
Republicans burn Donaghadee
Orange Hall
Paint bomb attack on Orange Hall
slammed
Orange
Hall targeted by republicans
Arson lodge aims
to rise from ashes
Rasharkin Orange Hall
and Kilrea hall attacked by republican bigots
Attack on Hall 'provocative'
republican 'Hate Crime'
Republicans attack Orange
Hall committing yet another "Hate Crime"
Orange Hall Attacked
by republicans at Derryadd
Republican Bigots burn down
Orange Hall in Kilmore
Republicans destroy Orange Hall in fire attack
Orange Hall is attacked after
republicans target band bus
Orange Hall Vandalised
by republicans
Republicans try
to burn down Corcain Orange Hall
Republicans try
to burn down Drumcree Parish Church
Orange Hall Attacked by Republicans
Children's Christmas Party Attacked
by Republicans in Dunloy
Republican Slogans daubed on
Orange Hall
'Mercy' No One Killed in Orange
Hall Attack by nationalists
Republicans attack and burn
Orange Order Heirlooms in sectarian attack
Concern over attack on Orange
Hall
Orange Order urges Mary McAleese
to condemn Protestant Attacks
Appeal after Orange Halls Attacked
by Republicans
Attacks on Orange Halls Orchestrated
Orange Arch set on fire in early
morning attack
Causnagh
Orange Hall re-opens two years after arsonists attack
Burned Orange Hall
re-opening
Hall attacks 'are
ethnic cleansing'
Police probe Orange
Hall arson attacks
Strabane Orange Hall burnt by
republicans
Police probe Orange Hall arson
attacks
Sectarian attacks on Orange
halls
Armagh Orange hall attacked
Orange Hall rises from the Ashes
Republicans burn
Ballyrea Orange Hall
Causnagh Orange
Hall to rise from the Ashes
PSNI investigate
Orange hall fire
Orange Halls attacked in Cookstown
area
Orange Hall fire bid investigated
Church Hall and Orange Lodge
burnt by arsonists
Republicans damage Orange hall
Republican Bigots
burn Community Orange Hall
Orange hall attacked
with digger
Click here for photograph
of burnt community Orange Hall
Moree
Orange Lodge 195 website detailing republican attacks
Click here to see
the damage done to the Banner
Orange Hall broken
into and Memorial smashed
Moree
Orange Lodge 195 website detailing republican attacks
Orange Halls attacked
over the Province
Republicans Attack
on Newry Orange Hall 'despicable'
Click here to see the damage done
to the Banner
Orange halls attacked
Republicans burn Orange Hall
Warrenpoint Orange Hall targeted
yet again
Nationalists try to burn down
Orange Hall in Portadown
Ballycastle Orange Hall attacked
by republicans in County Antrim
Nationalists set fire to Orange
Hall at Bryansford
Orange Halls damaged
in attacks
Parkmount Arch
attacked
Arsonists target
Orange Hall in Co Fermanagh
Orange Hall is burnt
in fresh attack
Orange Hall destroyed
in the Coastal town of Carnlough
Orange Hall at
Ballyronan burnt by nationalists
Orange Hall to
be rebuilt
Republicans try
to burn down Orange Hall
Click
here to read of the many heinous acts carried out by republicans
