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E.B.C.W.G. was formed in August 2002 as a response to a new campaign of Republican attacks on Protestant homes in East Belfast.
May 2002 had seen some of the worst street violence in the area since the 1970's when the troubles first began. Republicans/Nationalists from the Short Strand began attacking a small area in East belfast known as Madrid Street/Thistle Court.
For many years this area had suffered attacks and imtimidation but these latest were the worst by far. As a direct response to these unprovoked attacks on our community the government bodies erected a security gate in Madrid Street, which proved succesful in calming the situation.
In late May of 2002 SF/IRA turned their attention to a small cul-de-sac in the area called Cluan Place they orchestrated vicious and continuous attacks on the 25 homes and people living there. Cluan Place was a vunerable area as the houses were occupied either by pensioners or families with small children, some with disabilities. These attacks were so violent some of the residents had to flee there homes in the early hours with little protection from the PSNI.
Women from all over East Belfadt held protests to highlight what was happening to their Protestant neighbours, even as the protests were taking place the attacks became more violent and resulted in 5 Protestants being shot.
During rioting one of the houses was burnt out with a number of petrol bombs thrown over the peace-wall from Clandeboye Gardens. On the same night 3 Protestants were shot, 2 of them children, by the PIRA wh were at the tome supposed to be on ceasefire.
More residents fled their homes leaving behind all their possesions; none of the statutory agencies would enter the area to board up the houses this was left to the others.
Republican gunmen opened fire again shooting another 2 Protestants, one in the back, the other in the foot. The media reported this was yet another unprovoked attack by Republicans from Short Strand into Cluan Place. Events in the area prompted the women to stand together and help those being imtimidated by SF/IRA; they entered one of the empty houses in Cluan Place with full knowledge of the NIHE.
The house soon became known to anyone who used it as the Community House.
The women stayed there many nights well into the early hours to help as the attacks continued on the homes and families living there, these attacks were continuous for approx 5 months. The Repulican agenda was to cleanse the area of Protestants; they would then expand and move into the houses they had taken by force.
The aim of the Repulican movement is to have direct access to the Albertbridge Road and have a greater say in the Loyal Order parades. What they hadn't planned for was the women's group to be formed and highlight the to the media the injustice taking place in the area.
The E.B.C.W.G. continued to act on behalf of Cluan Place, contacting all the Government bodies and the media, highlighting their plight. We wanted to make sure the residents were not denied their basic human rights, which was what SF/IRA was denying them each and everyday.
The women's group have moved to new premises and are assiting other interface areas, helping people save their homes from the same Republican violence that took place in Cluan Place.
Our aims are to help a the social and welfare capacity any areas classed as interface due to Republican violence.
The E.B.C.W.G. is a voluntary group and depend soley on donations for our work. Since August we have had 2 parties for the children from interface areas all over Belfast.
The first party was for Ulsterday,which was fully funded by money and gifts, donated by local business people, was attended by children from many of Belfast's interface areas. The other was a Christmas party, This time the donations were from our friends in Scotland. Without these donations the parties would not have happened.
Our thanks go to all who have helped give these children some normality.
The plans for the days ahead are to help Madrid Street/Thistle Court in the same capacity we did Cluan Place. To get work started and our peoplemoved back into their homes.
Our people have as as much rights as the Nationalists and it's about time people realised it.
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