Tar and feather punishment attack

The British paramilitary terrorist Ulster Defence Association (UDA) has denied involvement in tar-and-feather attack on the weekend
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The UDA denied involvement in the punishment attack that saw an alleged drug dealer tarred and feathered in south Belfast during the weekend.
The attack is believed to have been carried out by two men
Police have described as "brutal and barbaric" an attack on a man who was tarred and feathered in south Belfast.
It is thought the attack was carried out on Sunday evening by two men wearing balaclavas, as a crowd including women and children looked on.
The victim was apparently tarred and feathered, tied to a lamppost and made to wear a placard around his neck reading: "I'm a drug-dealing scumbag".
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Although the police were made aware of the incident at Finwood Park in Taughmonagh, by the time officers arrived in the loyalist estate, neither the victim nor his attackers could be found.

Alliance leader David Ford said: "Despite denials from the UPRG, most people will find it very hard to believe that the UDA was not involved in this despicable act." see Alliance party calls for funding of UDA to stop

The Social Development Margaret Ritchie warned that UDA involvement would have serious repercussions for government funding of a loyalist project. "If the UDA is involved, it is a stark demonstration of the thuggery and violence which I made clear has to end if the funding to the Conflict Transformation Initiative project is to continue," said the SDLP assembly member.
Earlier this month, Ms Ritchie said she would withdraw support from the project unless there was clear evidence of decommissioning and reduced criminality.

Alban Maginness, a SDLP Assembly member, the UDA was to blame “It is quite clear that it was an element of the UDA which was responsible for this. These things are not done spontaneously by the community. It would seem to be a very provocative act.”

The political wing of the UDA has denied that the loyalist paramilitary group was involved, describing the attack as a "community reaction". Frankie Gallagher of the Ulster Political Research Group said "local people had gone to the UDA to ask them to sort it out", but that it told them to go to the police (PSNI). He claims that the police failed to act on information passed on and that people in the area decided to take the matter into their own hands. Mr Gallagher insisted the attack should have no bearing on the government ultimatum. He also called for talks with the Minister, warning that her stance was posing new dangers. “Margaret Ritchie’s actions are destabilising the loyalist community by doing things in a way that won‘t work, from the UPRG‘s perspective we would want to meet her as soon as possible.”

In a statement, the PSNI said there was "no place in civilised society for people taking the law into their own hands resulting in such a brutal and barbaric attack. We have been working closely with local community groups to try and address these issues and find solutions. If people have concerns and grievances about what is happening in their local community they should bring that evidence to the police."

Reports suggest that callers to a local radio show in Belfast this morning, called in to support such punishment attacks by a majority of six to one.

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Tar and feather punishment attack