View source for Red Hand Defenders

{{Short description|Loyalist paramilitary organisation in Northern Ireland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2013}}
{{Infobox militant organization
| name             = Red Hand Defenders
| leader           = Unknown
| dates            = September 1998 onwards (current status unknown)
| area             = [[Northern Ireland]]
| ideology         = [[Ulster loyalism]]
| status           = 
}}

The '''Red Hand Defenders''' ('''RHD''') is an [[Ulster loyalism#Paramilitary and vigilante groups|Ulster loyalist paramilitary]] group in [[Northern Ireland]]. It was formed in 1998 by loyalists who opposed the [[Belfast Agreement]] and the loyalist [[ceasefire]]s.<ref name=cainorg>[http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/organ/rorgan.htm Red Hand Defenders] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206180554/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/organ/rorgan.htm |date=6 December 2010 }}, [[Conflict Archive on the Internet]] (CAIN)</ref> Its members were drawn mostly from the [[Ulster Defence Association]] (UDA) and [[Loyalist Volunteer Force]] (LVF).<ref name=cainorg/> The name had first been used by [[Red Hand Commandos]] dissident [[Frankie Curry]] in 1996 and he was the leading figure in what was a somewhat unstructured organization until he was killed in 1999.<ref>Henry McDonald & Jim Cusack, ''UDA – Inside the Heart of Loyalist Terror'', Dublin: Penguin Ireland, 2004, pp. 307-308</ref> It is named after the [[Red Hand of Ulster]].<ref name="start.umd.edu">{{cite web|url=http://www.start.umd.edu/start/data_collections/tops/terrorist_organization_profile.asp?id=93|title=Terrorist Organization Profiles – START – National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism|access-date=30 January 2015|archive-date=21 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131221130220/http://start.umd.edu/start/data_collections/tops/terrorist_organization_profile.asp?id=93|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The RHD emerged when it claimed responsibility for a blast bomb attack on 7 September 1998 during a loyalist protest in [[Portadown]]. Loyalists had been protesting against the decision to ban the [[Orange Order]] from marching through the town's mainly Catholic and [[Irish nationalist]] quarter (see [[Drumcree conflict]]). The attack killed a Catholic [[Royal Ulster Constabulary]] (RUC) officer.<ref name=cainorg/> Since then, the RHD has claimed responsibility for killing a further ten people. It has also claimed responsibility for many [[pipe bomb]] attacks, mostly on the homes of Catholics.<ref name=cainorg/> One of the RHD's most notable attacks was the assassination of human rights lawyer [[Rosemary Nelson]] on 15 March 1999.<ref name=cainorg/> She had represented alleged [[Irish republicanism|Irish republican]] paramilitaries, the family of [[Death of Robert Hamill|Robert Hamill]], and the [[Drumcree conflict#Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition|Garvaghy Road Residents Association]]. Of the eleven people the RHD claimed to have killed, nine were civilians, one was a former UDA member and one was an RUC officer.

The RHD are a Proscribed Organisation in the [[United Kingdom]] under the [[Terrorism Act 2000]].<ref>{{cite act |title=Terrorism Act 2000 |title-link=Terrorism Act 2000 |date=2000-07-20 |orig-section=c. 11, sched. 2 |chapter=Proscribed Organisations |reporter=UK Public General Acts |chapter-url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/11/schedule/2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130121085241/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/11/schedule/2 |archive-date=2013-01-21 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Links with the wider loyalist movement==
It has been alleged that the name "Red Hand Defenders" is merely a covername for members of the [[Loyalist Volunteer Force]] (LVF) and [[Ulster Defence Association]] (UDA) so the organizations can claim on the surface to have honoured their [[ceasefire]] agreements.<ref name="start.umd.edu"/><ref name="cdi.org">{{Cite web|url=http://www.cdi.org/program/document.cfm?documentid=2737&programID=39&from_page=../friendlyversion/printversion.cfm|title = Center for Defense Information| date=5 July 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/rhd.htm|title=Red Hand Defenders|access-date=30 January 2015}}</ref><ref name="state.gov">{{Cite web | title=Technical Difficulties | url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/31947.pdf | access-date=2025-02-18 | website=2009-2017.state.gov}}</ref> Similar accusations have been made regarding the name "[[Orange Volunteers]]", another loyalist paramilitary group that emerged in 1998.<ref name="cfr.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.cfr.org/terrorist-organizations/northern-ireland-loyalist-paramilitaries-uk-extremists/p9274|title=Northern Ireland Loyalist Paramilitaries (U.K., extremists)|work=Council on Foreign Relations|access-date=30 January 2015|archive-date=20 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130620111722/http://www.cfr.org/terrorist-organizations/northern-ireland-loyalist-paramilitaries-uk-extremists/p9274|url-status=dead}}</ref> Claims of responsibility by the RHD for certain attacks have overlapped with those of the Orange Volunteers.<ref name="state.gov"/> The [[Council on Foreign Relations]] indicates the membership of the RHD, LVF and Orange Volunteers likely overlap.<ref name="cfr.org"/> These organizations are generally composed of young [[Ulster Protestant]] males from Northern Ireland.<ref name="cfr.org"/>

McDonald (2001) characterizes the LVF and UDA ceasefire agreements as "official fiction".<ref name="guardian.co.uk">[https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/sep/30/northernireland.northernireland] 2001-09-29</ref> The LVF denies these claims, stating that its armed campaign has ended.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/events/northern_ireland/focus/205596.stm] 1999-03-16</ref> LVF members were aware that any breach of the ceasefire could result in the return to jail for those paramilitary prisoners freed as part of the [[Good Friday Agreement]] of April 1998.<ref name="guardian.co.uk"/> This essentially served as an incentive for the groups to create a cover name.<ref name="cain.ulst.ac.uk">{{cite web|url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/organ/rorgan.htm|title=CAIN: Abstracts of Organisations – 'R'|access-date=30 January 2015|archive-date=6 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206180554/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/organ/rorgan.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> As a result, the actual existence of the RHD has consistently been called into question.<ref name="cdi.org"/> Jim Cusack and Henry McDonald have argued that the RHD and the Orange Volunteers are both overseen by a [[Christian fundamentalist]] preacher they identify only as the Pastor. The Pastor, a former associate of [[William McGrath (loyalist)|William McGrath]], [[John McKeague]] and [[George Seawright]] and a long-established British intelligence agent, is said by the authors to provide his own form of fundamentalist, [[anti-Catholic]] Protestantism to the two groups' fluid membership of young men, most of whom are also UDA or LVF members.<ref>Jim Cusack & Henry McDonald, ''UVF: Endgame'', Poolbeg, 2008, pp. 376-382</ref>

==Ideology and ''modus operandi''==
The Red Hand Defenders use violence toward the goal of maintaining British control in Northern Ireland.<ref name="cdi.org"/> Like other loyalist groups, the RHD is an adversary of [[Irish nationalists]] who seek to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and create a [[united Ireland]].<ref name="cdi.org"/> In essence, (mostly) [[Irish Catholic]] nationalists aspire to be part of the [[Republic of Ireland]], while (mostly) [[Protestant]] unionists wish to remain united with [[Great Britain]].<ref name="washingtonpost.com">[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/nireland/stories/bomb031699.htm] 1999-03-16</ref> The resulting long-term conflict in Northern Ireland was often referred to as "[[the Troubles]]".<ref name="cdi.org"/> However, unlike the two biggest loyalist paramilitary groups—the Ulster Defence Association and [[Ulster Volunteer Force]]—the group fully opposes the [[Northern Ireland peace process|peace process]] and peace agreements, including the Good Friday Agreement.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk"/>

Their tactics include shootings, bombings and arson, with victims usually being Catholic civilians.<ref name="cdi.org"/> The religious emphasis has exacerbated the underlying political problems.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/nireland/stories/bomb031699.htm   ] 1999-03-16</ref> The group's civilian targets have included Catholic schools and Catholic postal workers.  The weapons used by RHD members include pipe bombs, handguns and grenades.<ref name="cain.ulst.ac.uk"/> The group does not appear to receive aid from outside the UK.<ref name="state.gov"/>

==Notable attacks==
The RHD emerged when it claimed responsibility for a blast bomb attack on 7 September 1998 during a loyalist protest in [[Portadown]]. The loyalists had been protesting against the decision to ban the [[Orange Order]] from marching through the town's mainly Irish Catholic and Irish nationalist quarter (see [[Drumcree conflict]]). The attack killed a Catholic [[Royal Ulster Constabulary]] (RUC) officer.<ref name="cain.ulst.ac.uk"/> Since then, the RHD has claimed responsibility for killing a further ten people. Of the eleven people the RHD claimed to have killed, nine were civilians, one was a former UDA member and one was an RUC officer. The group admitted shooting to death a Catholic man, Brian Service, while he was walking home in North Belfast on 31 October 1998, and to an attack on a pub in West Belfast earlier that day.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk"/>  
One of the RHD's most notable attacks was the assassination of human rights lawyer [[Rosemary Nelson]] on 15 March 1999.<ref name="cain.ulst.ac.uk"/> She had represented alleged Irish republican paramilitaries, the family of [[Death of Robert Hamill|Robert Hamill]], and the [[Drumcree conflict|Garvaghy Road Residents Association]].  Nelson had been working with Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]] toward resolving the conflict in Northern Ireland.<ref name="cdi.org"/> She had also testified in Washington, D.C. about the plight of attorneys who were subjected to harassment and threats for representing Irish nationalists.<ref name="washingtonpost.com"/> Nelson further informed that she and her family had received death threats.<ref name="washingtonpost.com"/> The killing of Nelson was a significant setback to the peace process due to a fear of the need for retaliation.<ref name="washingtonpost.com"/> Moreover, this killing was the first high-profile assassination since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.<ref name="cdi.org"/>      	
In August 2001, the RHD claimed responsibility for an attempted pipe-bomb attack on a [[Sinn Féin]] Member of Parliament and an attempted car bomb attack at a fair shortly thereafter where streets were filled with civilians, though both plots were thwarted by police.<ref name="guardian.co.uk"/> The RHD also claimed responsibility for the murder of a journalist named [[Martin O’Hagan]] in September 2001, who was shot dead while walking home from a pub with his wife.<ref name="guardian.co.uk"/> O’Hagan had previously been threatened by [[Ulster Volunteer Force]] brigadier [[Billy Wright (loyalist)|Billy Wright]], who became the leader of the LVF and was subsequently killed in the [[Maze Prison]].<ref name="guardian.co.uk"/> The attack may have stemmed from the journalist's report on alleged collusion between loyalist paramilitaries and security forces in Northern Ireland.<ref name="cdi.org"/>

According to the [[U.S. Department of State]], the RHD claimed responsibility for killing a total of five individuals in 2001.  In 2002, the RHD claimed responsibility for the murders of a Catholic teenager and a Catholic postman (with the UDA and the [[Ulster Freedom Fighters]] (UFF) also subsequently claiming responsibility for the attacks), and also bombed the home of a prison officer.<ref name="state.gov"/> On 16 January 2002, the RHD allegedly made a statement agreeing to "stand down" at the request of the UDA/UFF after threatening Catholic postal workers and teachers.<ref name="4ni.co.uk">[http://www.4ni.co.uk/northern_ireland_news.asp?id=11068] 2002-01-16</ref> The sincerity of the statement was immediately called into question.<ref name="4ni.co.uk"/> The RHD resumed its campaign a few months later with a nail-bomb attack on a well-known republican.<ref name="cdi.org"/> The RHD successfully separated itself from the UDA in February 2003 with the murder of UDA member [[John Gregg (UDA)|John Gregg]], who had attempted to kill Sinn Féin president [[Gerry Adams]] almost 20 years before.<ref name="cdi.org"/> The attack on Gregg may have stemmed from disapproval with the RHD that had been expressed by the UFF.<ref name="cdi.org"/> The RHD is believed to have engaged in periodic bombings and shootings in 2003, and further claimed responsibility for an attack in September 2004.<ref name="cdi.org"/>

===Timeline===

====1998====
*5 Sep: The RHD claimed responsibility for a blast bomb attack during a riot on Charles Street, [[Portadown]]. A Catholic [[Royal Ulster Constabulary]] (RUC) officer was wounded and died on 6 October 1998.<ref name=cain98>[http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch98.htm Chronology of the Conflict: 1998] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110416033514/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch98.htm |date=16 April 2011 }}, [[Conflict Archive on the Internet]] (CAIN)</ref>
*31 Oct: The RHD claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian as he walked along Alliance Avenue, [[Belfast]].<ref name=cain98/>
*17 Dec: The RHD claimed responsibility for a blast bomb attack on a pub on Ballyganniff Road near [[Crumlin, County Antrim|Crumlin]], County Antrim.<ref name=cain98/><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.rte.ie/news/1998/1217/blast.html?view=print | publisher=RTÉ News | title=RUC investigating blast in Antrim | date=1998-12-17}}</ref>

====1999====
*26 Jan: The RHD claimed responsibility for an attempted [[pipe bomb]] attack on the home of a Catholic family near [[Carrickfergus]]. The family lived in a mainly Protestant estate. It failed to explode.<ref name=cain99>[http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch99.htm Chronology of the Conflict: 1999] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514134030/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch99.htm |date=14 May 2011 }}, [[Conflict Archive on the Internet]] (CAIN)</ref>
*28 Jan: The RHD claimed responsibility for a pipe bomb attack on the home of a Catholic family in [[Dungannon]].<ref name=cain99/>
*2 Feb: There was a grenade attack on St Joseph's Catholic Church in [[Antrim, County Antrim|Antrim]]. It is believed the RHD were responsible.<ref>[http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/cases/rosemary/appendixg.html Loyalist Attacks from 1 January 1999 – 30 April 1999] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722195111/http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/cases/rosemary/appendixg.html |date=22 July 2011 }}. [[Pat Finucane Centre]]</ref>
*24 Feb: The RHD claimed responsibility for a pipe bomb attack on a house in Rosapenna Street, Belfast. The pipe bomb was found in the back garden of the house, which was beside a [[Peace lines|peace line]].<ref name=cain99/>
*15 Mar: The RHD claimed responsibility for killing Catholic human rights lawyer Rosemary Nelson. A booby-trap bomb exploded under her car in [[Lurgan]].<ref name=cain99/>
*31 Mar: The RHD claimed responsibility for an attempted pipe bomb attack on the car of a Catholic civilian in Dungannon. It failed to explode.<ref name=cain99/>
*31 Mar: The RHD claimed responsibility for an attempted pipe bomb attack on a house on Gray's Lane, Belfast. It was made safe by the British Army.<ref name=cain99/>
*19 Apr: The RHD claimed responsibility for an attempted pipe bomb attack on the home of a Catholic family on Serpentine Park, Belfast. It failed to explode.<ref name=cain99/>
*21 May: Shots were fired at a Catholic youth worker as he escorted a Protestant girl to her home on Shankill Road, Belfast. He claimed that he had been threatened by RUC officers six months earlier. He claimed the officers wanted information on IRA members otherwise he would be killed by the RHD. The RUC denied the claims.<ref name=cain99/>
*5 June: A Protestant civilian was killed in a pipe bomb attack on her home at Corcrain Drive, Portadown. It was thrown through the window and exploded as she tried to take it outside. She was married to a Catholic man and lived in a mainly Protestant area. A blast bomb also exploded at another Catholic-owned home nearby. The RHD<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.start.umd.edu/gtd/search/IncidentSummary.aspx?gtdid=199906050002|title=Incident Summary for GTDID: 199906050002|access-date=30 January 2015}}</ref> and the LVF were blamed but the LVF denied responsibility.<ref>[http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch99.htm A Chronology of the Conflict: 1999] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514134030/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch99.htm |date=14 May 2011 }} – ''[[Conflict Archive on the Internet]]''</ref>
*7 June: A pipe bomb was found and defused outside St Mary's (Catholic) primary school in [[Ballymena]]. It is believed that the RHD were responsible.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.start.umd.edu/gtd/search/IncidentSummary.aspx?gtdid=199906070002|title=Incident Summary for GTDID: 199906070002|access-date=30 January 2015}}</ref>
*4 Oct: The RHD claimed responsibility for throwing a pipe bomb at a Catholic taxi driver as he drove through the Peter's Hill area of Belfast. It failed to explode.<ref name=cain99/>
*15 Oct: The RHD claimed responsibility for planting a hoax bomb at a Catholic-owned house in north Belfast. A family member said, "It's just to try and intimidate Catholics out of the area".<ref>[http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/octatt.html Sectarian attacks: October 1999] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722195132/http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/octatt.html |date=22 July 2011 }}. Pat Finucane Centre</ref>
*27 Oct: The RHD claimed responsibility for planting a pipe bomb at the home of a republican in west Belfast. It failed to explode.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/oct/31/northernireland.theobserver | work=The Guardian| title='Demon pastors' are humbled | date=1999-10-31 | location=London}}</ref>

====2001====
*24 Jan: The RHD claimed responsibility for firing shots at the home of prominent republican Martin Óg Meehan (son of [[Sinn Féin]] MLA [[Martin Meehan (Irish republican)|Martin Meehan]]) in Ardoyne, Belfast.<ref name="jan01">[http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/jan01att.html Sectarian attacks: January 2001] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924065015/http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/jan01att.html |date=24 September 2015 }}. Pat Finucane Centre</ref> On 29 Jan it claimed responsibility for firing shots at the home of Martin Óg Meehan's brother on the same street.<ref name="jan01"/>
*5 Feb: The RHD claimed responsibility for an attempted pipe bomb attack on the home of a Catholic family in Ardoyne, Belfast. The man who lived there was a former republican prisoner. It failed to explode.<ref name=cain01>[http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch01.htm Chronology of the Conflict: 2001] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514124806/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch01.htm |date=14 May 2016 }}, [[Conflict Archive on the Internet]] (CAIN)</ref>
*19 Jun: The RHD issued a death threat to husband and wife Sinn Féin councillors Breige and Martin Meehan.<ref>[http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/june01att.html Sectarian attacks: June 2001] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924065027/http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/june01att.html |date=24 September 2015 }}. Pat Finucane Centre</ref>
*4 Jul: The RHD claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian as he waited for a lift to work in [[Antrim, County Antrim|Antrim]]. The attack was a [[drive-by shooting]] by gunmen on a motorbike. In a call to a newspaper, a RHD spokesman said the teenager had been shot in "direct response to the Catholic people of Antrim voting in two Sinn Féin [councillors]. They are going to have to pay the price for it. God Save Ulster".<ref name=cain01/><ref>[http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/july01atta.html Sectarian attacks: July 2001 part 1] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303232754/http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/july01atta.html |date=3 March 2016 }}. Pat Finucane Centre</ref>
*20 Jul: The RHD claimed responsibility for firing shots into Ashton Community Centre in the nationalist Ardoyne area of Belfast. There were staff and children inside at the time. In a statement, the RHD said: "all nationalist people [are] hostile and legitimate targets".<ref name="jul01.2">[http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/july01attb.html Sectarian attacks: July 2001 part 2] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722195244/http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/july01attb.html |date=22 July 2011 }}. Pat Finucane Centre</ref>
*29 Jul: The RHD claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Protestant civilian as he stood outside St Enda's [[Gaelic Athletic Association]] (GAA) club in [[Newtownabbey]]. The attack was a drive-by shooting on a group of people. Brett was hit by automatic fire as he stood with his Catholic friends.<ref name=cain01/>
*30 Jul: The RHD claimed responsibility for two pipe bombs that exploded outside the Golden Thread theatre at a community centre in north Belfast. Over 250 people were watching a youth theatre production inside. One woman was hospitalized for shock.<ref name="jul01.2"/>
*22 Aug: The RHD claimed responsibility for a string of bomb alerts across Northern Ireland. A suspect device was found under a van in [[Armagh]]; a pipe bomb was found at a Sinn Féin office in [[Cookstown]]; a pipe bomb was found at a GAA club in [[Garvagh]]; and a pipe bomb exploded at a GAA club in [[Gulladuff]].<ref name=cain01/>
*23 Aug: The RHD claimed responsibility for two pipe bomb attacks on the home of a Catholic family at Deerpark Parade, Belfast. It also claimed responsibility for an attempted pipe bomb attack on a GAA club in [[Desertmartin]].<ref name=cain01/>
*28 Aug: The RHD claimed responsibility for an attempted car bomb attack in the middle of [[Ballycastle, County Antrim|Ballycastle]]. Thousands of people were in the town to celebrate the yearly ''Auld Lammas Fair''. The bomb was found by the RUC and defused by the British Army.<ref name=cain01/>
*29 Aug: The RHD claimed responsibility for two pipe bomb attacks on the home of a Catholic family in [[Ballynahinch, County Down|Ballynahinch]]. It also claimed to have left bombs at five pubs in Belfast and a pub and hotel in Ballycastle.<ref name=cain01/><ref>[http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/aug01att.html Sectarian attacks: August 2001] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722195249/http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/aug01att.html |date=22 July 2011 }}. Pat Finucane Centre</ref>
*30 Aug: The RHD claimed responsibility for shooting a man in [[Coalisland]].<ref name=cain01/>
*5 Sep: The RHD claimed responsibility for throwing a blast bomb at a group of Catholic schoolchildren as they walked to Holy Cross Primary School on Ardoyne Road, Belfast. Local loyalists had been protesting outside the school for the past three days. Four RUC officers and a civilian were injured. The next day, it was announced that the RHD had threatened to kill the parents if they tried to bring their children to the school.<ref name=cain01/> See [[Holy Cross dispute]] for more information.
*15 Sep: The RHD claimed responsibility for firing shots at a Catholic taxi driver as he drove through Parkmount Terrace, Belfast. The shots hit the car but missed the driver.<ref name=cain01/>
*28 Sep: The RHD claimed responsibility for shooting dead Catholic journalist Martin O'Hagan as he walked near his home in Lurgan. He worked for the ''[[Sunday World]]'' newspaper. The RUC Chief Constable said he believed that it was carried-out by members of the LVF, which was then on ceasefire. O'Hagan had written stories about LVF activities and had been threatened by loyalists a number of times. The RHD statement said that he had been killed "for crimes against the loyalist people".<ref name=cain01/><ref>{{cite news |last=Sharrock |first=David |title=Ceasefire endangered by journalist's murder |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|location=London |date=12 October 2001 |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A78774962/STND?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-STND&xid=79c5b692 |access-date=2024-04-26 |url-access=subscription <!--dead-url(no iarchive)=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2001/10/01/nuls01.xml --> }}</ref>
*1 Oct: The RHD claimed responsibility for planting a bomb outside the home of republican [[Eddie Copeland]] in Ardoyne, Belfast.<ref name="heathwood01">[http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/heathwood/static/2001.html Peter Heathwood Collection of television programs: 2001]. [[Conflict Archive on the Internet]] (CAIN).</ref>
*3 Dec: The RHD claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian as he sat in a car on Upper Crumlin Road, Belfast.<ref name=cain01/>
*12 Dec: The RHD claimed responsibility for shooting dead former UDA member [[William Stobie]] outside his home on Forthriver Road, Belfast. It was claimed he was an informer.<ref name=cain01/>
*18 Dec: The RHD claimed responsibility for attempting to shoot a Catholic man at Brompton Park, Belfast. He ran off before the gun could be fired. He had recently been warned that his name was on a loyalist death list.<ref>[http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/dec01batt.html Sectarian attacks: December 2001] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722195306/http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/dec01batt.html |date=22 July 2011 }}. Pat Finucane Centre</ref>

====2002====
*6 Jan: The RHD claimed responsibility for a pipe bomb attack on the home of a prison officer at Westway Park, Belfast. The man's wife and daughter were wounded. The RHD said it was in response to the alleged harassment of loyalist prisoners in Maghaberry Prison.<ref name=cain02>[http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch02.htm Chronology of the Conflict: 2002] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110806141019/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch02.htm |date=6 August 2011 }}, [[Conflict Archive on the Internet]] (CAIN)</ref>
*11 Jan: The RHD issued a death threat against all teachers and staff working at Catholic schools in north Belfast.<ref name=cain02/>
*12 Jan: The RHD claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian as he arrived for work at a postal sorting office in [[Newtownabbey]]. It also issued a statement saying that all Catholic postal workers were now "legitimate targets". However, the UDA later admitted that its members had been involved in the killing.<ref name=cain02/>
*15 Jan: The UDA/UFF called for the RHD to stand down within fourteen days.<ref name=cain02/>
*17 Apr: The RHD claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian as he sat in his taxi in [[Donaghmore, County Tyrone|Donaghmore]], County Tyrone.<ref name="heathwood02">[http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/heathwood/static/2002.html Peter Heathwood Collection of television programs: 2002]. [[Conflict Archive on the Internet]] (CAIN).</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/violence/deaths2002draft.htm|title=CAIN: Issues: Violence – Draft List of Deaths Related to the Conflict in 2002|access-date=30 January 2015|archive-date=6 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206170716/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/violence/deaths2002draft.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*26 Apr: The RHD claimed responsibility for a [[nail bomb]] attack on the home of a Sinn Féin councillor.<ref>[http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/apr02att.html Sectarian attacks: April 2002] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924064953/http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/apr02att.html |date=24 September 2015 }}. Pat Finucane Centre</ref>
*22 Jul: The RHD claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian as he walked home on Floral Road, Belfast. Earlier in the evening, a Protestant had been shot and wounded on Alliance Avenue. The RHD said the killing of Lawlor was a "measured response" to that attack. However, the UDA/UFF later admitted that its members had been involved in the killing.<ref>[http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/july02att.html Sectarian attacks: July 2002] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924065025/http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/july02att.html |date=24 September 2015 }}. Pat Finucane Centre</ref>
*4 Aug: The RHD issued a death threat against Catholic workers at the Mater Hospital in Belfast and Ulster Hospital in [[Dundonald, County Down|Dundonald]].<ref name="aug02">[http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/aug02att.html Sectarian attacks: August 2002] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924065005/http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/aug02att.html |date=24 September 2015 }}. Pat Finucane Centre</ref>
*20 Aug: In a statement to a newspaper, the RHD threatened that "if there is one more brick thrown by Catholics at houses in Glenbryn, every resident on the upper half of Alliance Avenue will be forcibly removed from their homes".<ref name="aug02"/>
*24 Oct: The RHD claimed responsibility for throwing a pipe bomb into the back yard of a Catholic-owned home on Alliance Avenue, Belfast. It claimed the man who lived there was a "senior republican".<ref>[http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/oct02att.html Sectarian attacks: October 2002] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722195343/http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/oct02att.html |date=22 July 2011 }}. Pat Finucane Centre</ref>
*19 Dec: The RHD claimed responsibility for throwing a pipe bomb at the home of a Catholic family in north Belfast.<ref name="heathwood02"/>

====2003====
*6 Jan: The RHD claimed responsibility for planting a pipe bomb at the gates of Holy Cross Catholic Primary School in Belfast. It warned the school to shut permanently within one week.<ref name="heathwood03">[http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/heathwood/static/2003.html Peter Heathwood Collection of television programs: 2003]. [[Conflict Archive on the Internet]] (CAIN).</ref>
*19 May: The RHD claimed responsibility for planting an explosive device outside a [[Republican Sinn Féin]] office in west Belfast. It was defused by the British Army.<ref>[http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/may03att.html Sectarian attacks: May 2003] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722195355/http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/may03att.html |date=22 July 2011 }}. Pat Finucane Centre</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/3043017.stm "Loyalists admit bomb attack"]. BBC News. 20 May 2003.</ref>
*11 Nov: The RHD claimed responsibility for planting an explosive device outside a Catholic-owned house in north Belfast. It said it was targeting a spokesperson for the Parents of Holy Cross Primary School.<ref>[http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/nov03att.html Sectarian attacks: November 2003] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722195406/http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/archive/sattacks/nov03att.html |date=22 July 2011 }}. Pat Finucane Centre</ref>

====2005====
*13 Feb: The RHD claimed responsibility for killing a Catholic civilian. He was found unconscious with head wounds on Jamaica Road, Belfast. However, it is not certain if the RHD were responsible as no code-word was given when the claim was made.<ref>[http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/violence/deaths2005draft.htm Draft list of deaths related to the conflict in 2005], [[Conflict Archive on the Internet]] (CAIN)</ref>

====2006====
*4 Mar: The RHD claimed responsibility for the attempted killing of a taxi driver in north Belfast. A man who got into the taxi pressed a handgun to the driver's head and pulled the trigger, but the gun jammed and he managed to flee.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4777804.stm | publisher=BBC News | title=Loyalist group admits taxi attack | date=2006-03-06}}</ref>

====2013====
*21 May: Four men linked with the Red Hand Defenders were jailed for two years and eight months for sending death threats to a couple in [[County Armagh]] back in February and March 2011. The loyalist gang demanded £15,000 from the couple and threatened paramilitary attacks if the couple did not pay them, but were arrested shortly after receiving £5,000 from the couple in [[Portadown]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-22609775 | publisher=BBC News | title=Four men jailed over 'Red Hand Defenders' blackmail plot | date=21 May 2013}}</ref>
*6 September: RHD reportedly threatened attacks on Catholic schools in North Belfast.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.u.tv/News/Paramilitary-threat-to-Belfast-schools/a1dcbc78-fe5e-4c04-8c34-b2d865ea0a0b|title=Paramilitary threat to Belfast schools|work=u.tv|access-date=30 January 2015}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Orange Volunteers]]
*[[Real Ulster Freedom Fighters]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/events/northern_ireland/focus/205596.stm LVF link to Red Hand terrorists], BBC News, 16 March 1999
*[https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/sep/30/northernireland2 Vengeance of dead King Rat], ''The Observer''
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/northern_ireland/understanding/parties_paramilitaries/red_hand.stm Red Hand Defenders], BBC News

{{Ulster Defence Association}}
{{Loyalist Volunteer Force}}

[[Category:Proscribed paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Christian terrorism in Europe]]
[[Category:Organizations based in Europe designated as terrorist]]
[[Category:Organisations designated as terrorist by the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:The Troubles (Northern Ireland)]]
[[Category:Ulster loyalist militant groups]]