THERE are calls for CCTV footage to be examined following further desecration of graves at the City Cemetery over the weekend.

The Andersonstown News reported last week how ‘appalling’ damage was caused to Commonwealth War Graves – a further five had their headstones broken off on Saturday night and a number of other graves were also attacked and damaged.

An ornate statue of Our Lady was also broken in half at a grave and ‘BMH’ Ballymurphy Hoods was daubed on trees close to several graves as the remnants of a burnt out black bin was also left behind from the weekend.
Sinn Féin Councillor Steven Corr told the Andersonstown News that the “community is extremely angry that this is happening”.

“There are people coming into this cemetery to look at graves smashed beyond recognition,” he said. “It is not only the war graves that are being attacked but the final resting places of many of our citizens, and local families from our area. The wanton destruction of the statue of Our Lady from a grave is an example that these people will attack any grave, whether sons, daughters or babies are buried there,” he said.

“We have appealed time and time again to parents – the amount of young people using this cemetery as their place of recreation is crazy. Parents need to know where their children are going.”

He continued: “Last year there was an attack on the gates of Milltown Cemetery, the community of West Belfast rallied to it. This community is equally as angry that graves have been attacked in the City Cemetery.

“Every political persuasion and none have contacted me to say how disgusted they are at these graves being attacked.

“People in our community who come for reflection, for solace are being faced with desecration. This continuing desecration would not happen in any other country in the world. It’s something that is just not done.”

Cllr Corr said that the cemetery is now an open market for drug dealers who are “plying their trade here” at the weekend. “The City Cemetery is where their market is.”

Cllr Corr said that when he got the call to inform him of the destruction it was “basically a mixture of anger and angst”.

“I mentioned last week that we are in the process of costings for higher fences, walls to be built as this type of behaviour cannot go on, in the absence of some people’s lack of a moral compass this is what we are facing. This is not normal. We have had damage done to a baby’s grave, we have had fires lit, trees damaged, bins burned out. The message is still the same – by being here you are doing harm. You are destroying people’s final resting places.

“I’ve met with people, with families who are in bits; they are distraught that their loved ones graves have been desecrated in this way.

“It doesn’t matter who is in the grave, it needs to stop. This has to stop. People who come in here have no respect for the dead it’s morally wrong."