Aontú: PSNI treat graffiti against election candidate as hate crime

The PSNI said they are investigating a report of criminal damage outside a house in the Damolly area of Newry.

Police were told on Monday 17 April that graffiti had been sprayed on walls sometime from Sunday night, 16 April."Enquiries into the incident, which is being treated as a hate crime, are ongoing," police said in a statement.

Police are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed any suspicious activity in the area, or who has any relevant information to contact police on 101, quoting 402 17/04/23.

Aontú said the home of its election candidate and hospital campaigner Sharon Loughran had been targeted with loyalist graffiti, including, “Aontú IRA out” and “UDA” on her property.

Ms Loughran stated: “This has come as a massive shock to me. It is an attack on my home and it is a violation. As a result it has created significant stress. I have reported this shocking incident to the police and I am meeting them today. It makes no sense what so ever. I am an paediatric A&E nurse in Daisy Hill Hospital and I decided to run for council to campaign to save key surgery services at the hospital. In my work as a paediatric A&E nurse I work for everyone in the community. Our campaign to save surgery services is of benefit to everyone living in Newry and beyond”.

“This attack on my home is also incredibly wrong as it tries to link Aontú with a proscribed organisation. Aontú is four years old. We didn’t exist during the troubles. We are a grassroots political organisation with no links to any outside organization at all. Indeed many of our members are former SDLP, Fianna Fail and even Labour Party members. Most of our members were never members of any other political party and are new to political activism. Indeed since our formation we have reached out and met with many within the Protestant and unionist community”.

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín TD said the graffitti was daubed in a mixed area of Newry.

“This is a shocking effort to intimidate a community activist out of running for council," he said. "Its an attack on the democratic process. Its especially mind boggling given that Sharon’s work has always been to help both communities. Indeed Aontú’s vision of Ireland is that of Wolfe Tone. We want to create an Ireland where Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter can be who they are without fear or favour. Aontú will not deviate from this key core objective”.

A report can also be made using the online reporting form via www.psni.police.uk/makeareport Information can also be provided to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org