Sinn Féin MLA Linda Dillon has said there is no place for armed gangs in our society and said they should ‘leave the stage’.
Speaking after reports that masked loyalists attempted to force a family from their home in Carrickfergus, the Mid Ulster MLA said:
“Reports that a masked loyalist gang attempted to intimidate a family and force them from their home in Carrickfergus are shocking and disgraceful.
“It is now 24 years since our peace agreement, the Good Friday was endorsed in referenda by the people of Ireland, north and south.
“Yet in 2022, loyalist paramilitaries continue to be involved in murder, racketeering, extortion, drug dealing and issuing sectarian threats.
“This type of activity must end and these paramilitary gangs should leave the stage.”