Ian Ogle murder: Community asked to take a stand against thugs

PICTURES: Ian Ogle’s daughter leads march against paramilitary intimidation

Ian Ogle’s daughter Toni Johnston said her father’s violent death earlier this year should mark the end of paramilitary intimidation and punishment beatings.

She led a protest inspired by the recent International Women’s Day.

Demonstrators held a large banner promoting “justice for East Belfast” and declaring they had had enough of the shadowy threat posed by gangsters.

Ms Johnston declared: “Please do not let my dad die in vain.

“Take a stand against these thugs, look after each other and take East Belfast back.”

The women walked from the scene of the Albertbridge Road killing on January 27 to CS Lewis Square, which commemorates the Belfast-born writer, a short distance away.

Mr Ogle was a community worker aged 45.

He was stabbed 11 times in the back during a frenzied attack.

He was left for dead on his own street, his daughter said, dying in his own son’s arms because of an apparent dirty look.

She recounted beating herself up about what would have happened if the family had gone to police over earlier concerns, whether her father would still be alive.

On Sunday, she asked: “What if we exposed those thugs long ago?”

Ms Johnston has previously described her family being subjected to a campaign of intimidation for 18 months before the murder.

She asked people to report perpetrators to police: “We as a community are saying no more violence on our streets.

“No more intimidation and drug dealing, no more punishment beatings, no more bullying or destroying our community - we have had enough.”

One of the protest organisers, Mr Ogle’s niece Emma Dryburgh, said she was there to demonstrate that people were sick of the violence on the streets.

She said she wanted East Belfast to be peaceful.

“It is one of the best places to live, I always used to be proud of East Belfast and used to feel very safe in the community and now it is completely and utterly changed.

“You are always looking over your shoulder, you are scared to speak out to the wrong person in case you are threatened, I want all that to stop.”

She said women represented the voices behind their partners and brothers.

“We always say that behind a strong man there is an even stronger woman.

“We are sticking up for our men as well, we don’t want our men to have to go through what Ian went through.”

Several people have been charged in connection with Mr Ogle’s killing.