Bishop Donal McKeown
THE Catholic Bishop of Derry has condemned a death threat from dissident republicans against a Protestant man who works in the city’s Creggan estate.
Dr Donal McKeown said there can be no justification for it and appealed to those involved in recent violence in Derry to stop.
The 64-year-old man who has been threatened works at an allotment in the Ballymagowan area.
He has not returned there while the threat is investigated.
“It’s really very important that we challenge these people to say ‘what is your agenda, who has given you any right to speak and to act on our behalf?'” Dr McKeown said.
“But it’s also incumbent upon politicians to say ‘we will prove that politics works’ and it’s incumbent on all of us, particularly in leadership roles in the churches and civic society to say we need a way forward that respects all of us.”
Sinn Féin has said the threat was issued by dissident republicans and that there is disgust in the community that the 64-year-old man has been targeted.
“It transpires now, it looks very like it, this is a sectarian death threat. The man is from the Protestant faith, there’s no other reason for it, it’s absolutely scandalous,” councillor Kevin Campbell said.
“To those individuals or groupings or whatever who have issued this threat, just lift it immediately.
“Allow this man to get back to his work, he’s a 64-year-old man providing for his family and it’s absolutely disgraceful.”
Police have said they do not comment on the security of individuals, but if they are aware of information that a person’s life may be at risk, they will inform them.
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