Tarred, feathered, tied to a lamppost: Drug dealer justice on the streets of Ulster.

[lulz]

For non Irish people who may be wondering where Ulster is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulster

A very loose analogy is that it's traditionally been like an Irish version of Beirut. Things are a lot better these days, but I have a cousin studying in Belfast, and I've heard some pretty horrible stories.

Tied to a lamppost, he stands with his head and upper body covered in tar and feathers. A makeshift placard hung around his neck with a piece of string announces the reason for his treatment.

It is a very public humiliation, and a medieval one. Almost ten years since Northern Ireland's Troubles officially ended, this remains the crude face of justice on the streets of south Belfast.

This man was subjected to the painful tarring and feathering on the Taughmonagh estate, a loyalist stronghold in the city.
Locals had accused the victim, who is in his thirties, of being a drug dealer. And when police allegedly did not act, they took the law into their own hands.



Two masked men tied up the accused victim, poured tar over his head and then covered him in white feathers, apparently from a pillow case.

A small crowd including women and children looked on as the men then adorned their victim with a placard reading: "I'm a drug dealing scumbag".

Pictures of the punishment were sent to a local newspaper.

The incident harks back to the worst days of the Troubles, when republican and loyalist paramilitaries would routinely punish alleged criminals. Untrusting of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, IRA enforcers would deliver brutal street justice to anyone who contravened their rules.

Sometimes they punished real wrongdoers, but often the victims were those who had simply got in the way of the IRA's own criminal activities.

Kneecapping - in which a victim's kneecaps were blown out with a shotgun - was one of the IRA's most infamous tactics.

The terrorists would also tar and feather Catholic women accused of forming relationships with British soldiers. Yesterday the loyalist Ulster Defence Association denied all involvement in the tarring and feathering, despite its strong presence on the Taughmonagh estate.

Indeed, one political analyst claimed it had been carried out by locals who had become frustrated at the lack of police action over a drug dealer.

Frankie Gallagher, of the Ulster Political Research Group, said: "The UDA told the local community to go to the police about this. The community responded in the way it did because it had no confidence in the police."

By the time the Police Service of Northern Ireland was made aware of the incident, the victim - and his two attackers - had gone.

Margaret Ritchie, Northern Ireland's social development minister, said: "This kind of behaviour has no place in a civilised society."

Tarring and feathering has been used as a punishment for almost 1,000 years. During the third crusade to the Holy Land, King Richard ruled that any Royal Navy sailors caught stealing should be tarred and feathered.
And in 1623, the Bishop of Halberstadt in Germany used the technique to discipline a group of misbehaving nuns.

The punishment is probably best known, however, from its widespread use in America during the War of Independence in the 1770s, when it was used to punish those accused of loyalty to the British colonial power.

The victim was usually paraded around the streets in a cart as a warning to other would-be traitors.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...e_id=1770&ct=5

Reputation Comments on this post:

: O

[Coconut]

SWIM couldn't help but giggle a bit at this. Excuse his crude sense of humour.

All joking aside, SWIM should probably condemn this, but SWIM doesn't think he will. The PSNI and Gardaí are both notoriously corrupt and incompetent police forces - if SWIM had trouble with a violent, extortionist drug dealer in his area, he would probably act in a similar manner to those who carried this out. Simple drug trafficking he has no problem with, but many dealers in Ireland and around the world are, indeed, heartless scum.

A historical irony is also pointed out in the story, about how the IRA would punish "wrongdoers" using their own street justice - IRA members would simultaneously kneecap drug dealers and deal drugs themselves. Call it "eleminating the competition", if you will. Or "hypocrisy".

[Searching_For_Something]

How does one breathe?

This is disturbing, it's not like he murdered or raped somebody. I would imagine that would induce some sort of trauma or mental disorder after such a hanus punishment, for what too... dealing drugs?

Ridiculous

[Pondlife]

I wonder if it was because he was "a drug dealing scumbag", or whether he'd refused to give the UDA the cut they asked for? In other words, I think this may be a turf-war and not just a spontaneous outburst of local feeling.

[chemlove]

Originally Posted by pondlife

I wonder if it was because he was "a drug dealing scumbag", or whether he'd refused to give the UDA the cut they asked for? In other words, I think this may be a turf-war and not just a spontaneous outburst of local feeling.

to me this seems very likely as well corrupt people do corrupt things and we all know the quote

"power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"

i just think that there always more to a story then meets the eye

[Joe Duffy]

I see they managed to get nearly as much tar on the street as on the alleged drug dealer, do these people not realise tax payers money will have to be wasted on the street clean up.

[Sky Walker]

Originally Posted by Daily Mail

Indeed, one political analyst claimed it had been carried out by locals who had become frustrated at the lack of police action over a drug dealer.

Frankie Gallagher, of the Ulster Political Research Group, said: "The UDA told the local community to go to the police about this. The community responded in the way it did because it had no confidence in the police."

Yep, that's most likely what actually happened. The paramilitaries these days control most of the drug trade in Ireland and would probably not act in this way towards a dealer as he'd most likely be dealing for them or at least buying his products from them.

I'm a bit sickened that this could happen simply for drug dealing, I at least hope the guy actually deserved it. Like he was selling horribly dangerous substances passed off as other drugs, seriously ripping people of, robbing customers or selling to children but for simply dealing, that's a pretty horrid reaction. Scumbag(s).


Looks like one of the local mothers there with that pillow. Also wouldn't this guy be horribly disfigured, the tar would have been boiling, right? That would totally melt your face, sick.

[Stiney]

Originally Posted by Sky Walker

Yep, that's most likely what actually happened. The paramilitaries these days control most of the drug trade in Ireland and would not act in this way towards a dealer as he'd most likely be dealing for them or at least buying his products from them.

Either that or paying protection over to them, and why do people pay protection to these pathetic cunts. *see picture above*. It's nothing more than a public threat to dealers unwilling to subsidise them.

"The UDA told the local community to go to the police about this. The community responded in the way it did because it had no confidence in the police." So after years of threatening to burn peoples mothers to death in thier homes if they were seen exiting a police station they suddenly become perponents of law and order? Bullsh1t!

People critisise drug dealers for being motivated by greed.....better than being motivated by slow wits, bigotry and the desperate cringe inducing attempt to look like a hard man. The UDA, what a bunch of wanna be gangster idiots, a few racist alcos that get thier kicks by beating up teenage joyriders, the FDA could inspire more terror in someone. Pathetic.

[Nature Boy]

Probably assaulted for selling on someone else's turf. Doubt this was the act of moral justice it's being paraded as. Dealing in Belfast is highly territorial and is greatly tied into terrorist paramilitary gangs.

[Coconut]

Originally Posted by Nature Boy

Probably assaulted for selling on someone else's turf. Doubt this was the act of moral justice it's being paraded as.

You're probably right. This sort of thing happens in Dublin all the time, except it involves knives and bullets, not tar and feathers.

[Bananas293]

Im no expert but from those pictures there is only one set of criminals!
its the ones responsible for kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, assault, crimianal damage, disturbing the peace, anti-social behavior and the list goes on........

Why is this display being associated with the paramilitaries? what has this to do with the paramilitaries? I see no connection between these pictures and the paramiltaries with the possible exception of the balaclavas. Im not being neive here just cynical.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Yep, good points man.

[Stiney]

Well the paramilitaries(pathetic cunts) are very well known for (a) carrying out punishment beatings (which the above obviously is). (b) For using the media to show off how "mad" they are. (c) For commiting crimes against individuals that have never been proven guilty of anything and then saying it was the "community" that actually commited them and then defering blame onto the first authority that springs to thier mind. Maybe something like that? Motive Operende or something like that, but only spelt correctly, the american cop shows call it.

[Beeker]

Poor coppers couldn't find a man tarred and feathered. Like camouflage he is.

[fnord]

reminds me of the end to pink flamingoes,but not funny.

[xctico]

that's bloody dangerous!!

tar causes lung cancer! [or so it says in cigarette packs]

[Nagognog2]

Explaining logic and psychology to 14th century thinkers invites being branded a Witch or such and ending up feathered and gooey. Best you can do is try to reach out to their kids (the feather-brigade) and help them know there are other ways to address issues using sense and knowledge. Big challange. Good luck to those who try!

[xctico]

Originally Posted by Nagognog2

Explaining logic and psychology to 14th century thinkers invites being branded a Witch or such and ending up feathered and gooey. Best you can do is try to reach out to their kids (the feather-brigade) and help them know there are other ways to address issues using sense and knowledge. Big challange. Good luck to those who try!

the underliying question is, have we really changed that much since the 14th century?


I like to think we have... but then I watch a little cnn and I have to wonder if Im just fooling myself.

[Sky Walker]

Originally Posted by xctico

the underliying question is, have we really changed that much since the 14th century?

Not much. If anything, our savageness surpasses that of our 14th century counterparts. E.g. For our delicate hoop, we roughen with brutish paper, 14th century shitters wiped their arse with silks and fine linens.

[xctico]

at least in the 14th century weed was legal

[Nahbus]

From wiki:
First degree burns are sustained after a split second contact with a material that is about 70 °C (160 °F). The same is also sustained after thirty seconds of contact with 55 °C (130 °F) material. The tar of that period was of such a quality that it only melted at about 60 °C (140 °F). At temperatures of 60 °C (140 °F) burns can be created with a three second contact. The thin tar layer presumably cooled quickly; nevertheless, the victims possibly sustained some burns in addition to their humiliation.

I'm sure it did not feel good, but I don't think it would really melt off skin or totally deform you. Although, who knows what kind of tar they used up there...

[Sticki]

Swim has seen this many a time and spent many years as a young man in Belfast, Belfast is in a league of its own.

The police dont do anything cus the paramilitary's and the paramilitary's do to make the estate feel safe. Believe swim this man was defintly warned before this act was carried out. He's lucky he's still able to walk most batalions will take your knee's, ankles or elbows or if your really bad they'll give you the 6 pack. (All the above)

O and the sufication thing, 1 can breath, Just. What 1 must watch out for is that they dont want to cover your entire body (naked) with it as the body is no longer able to breath threw the pours.

Any how, Its a way of life out there.

Sticki