Statement by Lagan Valley TUV:
“The attack on Finnis Orange Hall discovered on Thursday evening is a sinister turn of events. A memorial window was smashed in several places in what was the first attack on the hall in its more than half a century of existence.
“It is worth noting at the outset that the Finnis LOL 326 has always enjoyed good relationships with all in the local community. Through many times of tension, we have never felt the need to place grills over our windows or protect them in any way. It is the suspicion of many that this is the work of outsiders and there is certainly a strong desire within the lodge to maintain the good community relations they have enjoyed to date.
“The attack will rightly be regarded as an attack upon the entire Protestant community of the area and is deserving of condemnation by all.
“It can not, however, be divorced from the wider context of what we have seen in recent days. The public manifestation of a culture inside nationalism which doesn’t just excuse violent republicanism but openly celebrates it feeds into attacks of this nature. If it is acceptable for the Republic of Ireland’s ladies football team to sing songs glorifying those who shot men sitting in their lodge room why should we be surprised when Republicans smash the window of an Orange Hall?
“There is an urgent need for nationalism to face up to the destructive cancer which is within its midst and for the media to call it out at every opportunity. Casual glorification and celebration of those who engaged in ethnic cleansing of many borders areas of Northern Ireland should never be acceptable and we cannot permit people to swallow the lie peddled by Michelle O’Neill that there was “no alternative” to such.
“We believe that the Orange is on the receiving end of such attacks precisely because they dare to remind us of the price the Protestant community paid as a result of 30 years of IRA terror.”