Word: protestante
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Teer was the victim of a "punishment beating," a form of thuggery long practiced by both the Catholic Irish Republican Army and the Protestant Loyalist paramilitaries. The beatings are used to enforce discipline within their ranks and to combat what they self-righteously call antisocial behavior in their respective communities...
Politicians from both Catholic and Protestant communities hedge their condemnations of this violence. "We are opposed to punishment beatings, and will not condone them," says Martin McGuinness, second-in-command of Sinn Fein, the I.R.A.'s political wing. "But the reality is that the community is demanding action against criminals...
There is deep hypocrisy in the paramilitaries' alleged concern with crime. Operatives from the I.R.A. and the Ulster Defense Association, one of the leading Protestant paramilitary groups, have long been extorting protection money from construction companies, small businesses and shop owners to finance terrorist activities. Police also accuse the I.R.A...
The beatings, however, are more than a misguided attempt at crime control or fund raising. Violence, disguised as crime fighting, is one way the I.R.A. maintains its influence. "The paramilitaries use punishment beatings to fight for social control of the ghetto," says Chris McGimpsey, a Belfast city councilor who represents...
Punishment beatings threaten the optimistic mood of peace that prevails in Northern Ireland. "The cease-fire means absolutely nothing to me now," says Mary Teer, Patrick's mother. Until the I.R.A. and the Protestant paramilitaries give up their vicious beatings, the legacy of the years of violence will continue to...