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Tourists shocked after Belfast bus attack

By Lesley-Anne Henry
Monday, 22 June 2009

Tourists have told how frightened they felt after a bus was attacked by stone throwers.

A window on the Allen’s Tours bus, which was carrying 40 visitors, was smashed when stones were thrown as it drove through west Belfast yesterday.

The incident happened in the Divis area at about 12.40pm.

Last night a PSNI spokeswoman said there had been no reports of any injuries.

However an Australian woman ,who had only been in Belfast an hour when the attack happened, has said she will be “glad” to leave the city today.

Eunice Cassidy said: “I was sitting right at the window — I didn't see what happened as I was listening to the tour director, I just heard a big bang.

“I'll admit I have been apprehensive about coming to Belfast because there was trouble not so long ago. This did scare me. But then we went on and everything was OK.”

A number of youths wearing hooded tops were seen in the area at the time of the attack.

Bus driver Mark McCall said some of the passengers had been “visibly shaken” by the ordeal.

“We were driving up the lower part of the Falls Road and I noticed a crowd of youths coming down the left hand side, but thought nothing of it.

“As I was passing, one of them threw an object and it went through the side window.

“We decided to get out of the area as fast as possible and then spoke to the tourists, no-one was injured but a lot of them seemed visibly shaken. I think the whole thing has left a very bad impression,” he said.

It is understood that after consulting with the tourists, it was decided that the tour should continue as planned.

SDLP councillor Tim Attwood, condemned the attack on the bus as “despicable”.

He said: “This is a despicable act of vandalism which could have had much more serious consequences. We are now in a time when people wish to come and visit this city and spend money holidaying here but a few thugs think it’s good enough to throw stones at visitors.”

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Again, I'll stand by my previous statements concerning each thread. And that is all I'm going to say on the matter.
Please feel free to blow more hot air.

Posted by Ulysses31 | 24.06.09, 10:30 GMT

Poor you Ulysses. It appears you have indeed "stooped". Think before reading. Think before writing.

Nothing to say about Erasmus, one-sided and sectarian post I see. Got a sectarian agenda of your own perhaps.

Poor mickey, Ulysses, poor mickey....gosh, it's pretty easy this "poor me" stuff isn't it?!

Posted by mi_ck_ey | 23.06.09, 09:31 GMT

This lady is being a bit precious and the media blow up is laughable. I didn't check which part of Australia she's from, but if you follow the local news in Sydney or Melbourne alot worse can be found, so she might want to be a bit more open minded and get off her high horse... It's a city.. No, it wasn't a nice incident, but these things happen in big cities sometimes. I know alot of Aussies who've visited Belfast and loved your city. Just for the record.

Posted by Dave M, Sydney | 23.06.09, 04:51 GMT

Wendy, it's good to see you supporting NI as some Australians, and other nationalities, post holier and thou views as if there were no dastardly crime in their own community. There is both good and bad in all nations.

Posted by robbo | 22.06.09, 22:55 GMT

As an Australian who has been living here for seven years now I can tell you that those Australian tourists would have been hesitant to come here in the first place. I am prepared to shout from the rooftops how wonderful Northern Ireland is - it is home to me now - but be aware that for many years Australians never saw anything about Northern Ireland on the news that did not involve violence and death. I trust their view of Belfast grew more positive by the time they got on their plane.

Posted by wendy | 22.06.09, 18:22 GMT

Unreal throwing stones at a bus....go get a job go bk to school do something.....talk about a bad impression these fools just did that I can only hope that the tourists dont judge us all by these bunch of fools......how were these fools raised disgusting just disgusting I hope they all get caught give them a big fine or prison

Posted by Mary | 22.06.09, 18:11 GMT

My last posted comment does has not appeared so I will post again.
Mickey, your intention by making your comment is all too blantantly obvious to anyone who reads your one-sided sectarian comments. I don't know why you aren't still smarting after the grilling you took from the posts you made about the UVF decommissioning. Even an Austrailian could see your sectarianism.
As for stooping, I can recommend a chiropractor to counter-act the pains inflicted from the lows to which you continually stoop

Posted by Ulysses31 | 22.06.09, 17:20 GMT

That is what you call marketing belfast style. Now the tourists will have much more to talk about and tell many more people of their adventures in wild Belfast attracting many more thrill seekers though some maybe in uniform

Posted by ron54 | 22.06.09, 14:44 GMT

"Despicable", Tim that will really scare them!

Posted by Bill | 22.06.09, 14:02 GMT

Ulyssess? Is West Belfast the dwelling of only one community here in NI?

Engage brain. Don't stoop to "poor me" mark's level.

Posted by mi-ck-ey | 22.06.09, 13:42 GMT

Well Mickey, again we appear a little one-sided. And, look, you have decided to tar a whole area of Belfast with the same brush.
Sometimes I do feel that Mark does get a bit too emotional towards your useless sectarian attitude but he really has made a very valid point.
You really do need to move out of the wee bubble you live in and engage with the real world.

Posted by Ulysses31 | 22.06.09, 13:33 GMT

If I travel to a country with a history of violence, terrorism and murder for my holiday and then pay to go on a bus tour through some of the old troublespots and warzones, I'd think myself pretty lucky to come away with a stone thrown at my window.

Posted by GDW | 22.06.09, 13:03 GMT

them tourists should count themselves lucky ,,belfast has just been voted the most friendly city in the uk,,,,talk about being ungrateful ,,,,next thing will be tourists are flocking to iraq ,,,the n ireland tourist board ,,priceless

Posted by HG | 22.06.09, 12:33 GMT

Good old silly silly boy, mickey. Doing his bit for Northern Ireland's tourist industry with his spiteful yet predicatable tedious bile.

Posted by Plum | 22.06.09, 11:25 GMT

The people who have made that part of Belfast 'something to see' haven't just disappeared.

Posted by Aaron | 22.06.09, 11:14 GMT

Good old Mickey. Doing his bit for Northern Irelands 'eejit' industry.

Strange that you would comment on this story having been silent on the subject of the ethnic cleansing of the Roma people last week! ( Not really that strange for anyone who's followed your history of embarassing intolerant statements).....True to form as always Mick!

Posted by mark | 22.06.09, 11:06 GMT

Dave -Esther Rantzen's comment is true to a certain extent. There is no doubt that there are a minority of people on both side of the divide that are addicted to hatred and feel that because they are Catholic/Protestant then they must hate their opposite religion. But, she said it in a way that tarred all the people of Northern Ireland with the same brush which couldn't be further from the truth. All countries have their problems with hatred and violnece and Esthers own country is right up there

Posted by Liam | 22.06.09, 10:50 GMT

Jeez guys! You've only just got the tourists coming back to that wonderful City.

Esther Rantzen's reported comment about NI being "addicted to violence" may be inflammatory, but it appears from the outside that the 'nominal' level is set much higher than elsewhere.

Posted by Dave | 22.06.09, 10:21 GMT