Loyalist council warns against return to ‘spiral of violence’ and potential ‘serious reprisals’ after comments at tense weekend anti-NI Protocol rallies.

Speaking on Saturday at a rally at Newbuildings in Co Londonderry, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said that opposition to the protocol “must always be peaceful and democratic”.

But speaking shortly afterwards from the same platform,leading loyalist activist Jamie Bryson issued a warning to dissident republicans.

Last week they had warned that they were monitoring activity by the UDA and UVF, adding that “if loyalists target republican and nationalist communities, we will target loyalist leadership figures”.

The comments came after a recent hoax bomb attack blamed on loyalists against Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney in Belfast. This was followed by media reports that loyalists were threatening nationalist politicians over the protocol.

But in his speech Mr Bryson warned of consequences for any attacks by dissidents. “That is foolish, and plainly any such attack would have significant, and ultimately unwanted, consequences, but consequences nonetheless,” he told the rally.

“As such, these people should stop issuing threats not only against loyalists and unionists, but against their own community who they seem to torture and bully more than anything else.”

Speaking at another anti-protocol rally in east Belfast on Friday night, Orange Order Grand Secretary Rev Mervyn Gibson invoked the memory of Larne gun running by the old UVF in a bid to motivate opposition to the protocol.

“Apathy was not an option when in 1912 people signed the Covenant,” he said. “Apathy was not an option when guns were landed at Larne and Donaghadee. Apathy was not an option in 1921 when Northern Ireland was founded. Apathy was not an option during the dark days of the Troubles. Apathy did not secure 101 years of Northern Ireland.”

The comments by Rev Gibson and Mr Bryson, dubbed sabre-rattling by some, set the agenda for significant parts of the media and social media over the weekend.

Yesterday morning the News Letter asked the DUP, UUP, TUV and Rev Gibson for reaction. This paper also asked for comment from the Loyalist Communities Council (LCC), which draws members from the UVF, UDA and RHC terror groups.

First to respond was LCC chairman David Campbell. He warned of the risk of “serious reprisals” to any such dissident attacks.

“I think Jamie Bryson is correct in his analysis that any violent attack against loyalist leaders would have the potential of leading to serious reprisals and start a spiral of violence that we thought was long gone,” he said.

“The current loyalist leaders have been on a peaceful trajectory for over 20 years. There are no threats emanating from them, however there is a steady determination to preserve the Union and continue to reject all attempts to force Northern Ireland out of the UK, either from militant republicans or the proponents of the NI Protocol.”

Next to respond was UUP leader Doug Beattie. He said: “Any threats of violence either implied or otherwise is worrying and is wrong. The Ulster Unionist Party will continue to strongly advocate for law and order and ask that politicians, civic leaders and community influencers are mindful of their language.”

He added that the protocol is “a bad deal for Northern Ireland, which needs replaced”.

By late afternoon neither the DUP nor TUV – both of which condemn all violence – had offered any response.

Contacted again, a DUP spokesman sent an extract of Sir Jeffrey Donaldson’s speech from Friday night. It said: “Whilst Sinn Fein, the SDLP and the Alliance Party want the protocol ‘rigorously implemented’ we must use this election to send a message that unionism stands united in demanding the protocol is removed. Our cause is just. Our case is strong. Our opposition to the protocol must always be peaceful and democratic.”

A TUV spokesman later responded: “Jim Allister is very clearly opposed to all violence and has never deviated from that. There is enormous pressure and frustration inside the unionist community at the inaction of the government and elected unionist officials on the protocol.”

Rev Gibson offered no comment.