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Scare at Irish Assembly

Hasan Suroor

LONDON: The Northern Ireland Assembly in Belfast was evacuated on Friday after a convicted loyalist, carrying a gun and a knife, tried to storm the building during a crucial debate on restoring the peace process.

There was panic after Michael Stone, a loyalist figure who murdered three men in 1988, tried to force his way into the building and reportedly threw a bag into the hallway. Police said he was also carrying what seemed like a "viable device.'' He shouted slogans and scrawled "IRA Sinn Fein'' on a wall. The incident took place after leaders of Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party sat down to work out an agreement to revive the stalled peace process. Stone, who was detained, was leading a group opposed to any talks with Sinn Fein unless its armed wing the IRA was disbanded.

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