Gusty Spence
Augustus (Gusty) Spence (born June 28, 1933 in Belfast ; † September 24, 2011 ibid) was a leading Northern Irish extremist from the Protestant spectrum and later a unionist politician .
Beginning of the conflicts
He served in the British Army for several years, but had to quit in 1961 for health reasons. When tensions between the denominations became more and more evident in the mid-1960s, he was actively involved in the re-establishment of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). The aim was to oppose the republican movement with a powerful militia, but above all to declare war on the IRA . The IRA was a small and militarily insignificant group at the time. Instead, the UVF attacked uninvolved Catholics, and the Troubles were responsible for the first deaths . Northern Irish Prime Minister Terence O'Neill banned the group, Spence was charged with murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was imprisoned in Maze Prison , where he soon assumed the role of camp commandant among his Protestant inmates. In prison, however, he changed his mind and renounced violence.
Political commitment
After serving his sentence in 1984, he became politically active. He is now working for a peaceful solution to the Northern Ireland conflict, but the union with the United Kingdom must be preserved. Spence therefore joined the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP). This small Northern Irish party has its base of influence in the Protestant working-class neighborhoods of Belfast and is said to be close to the UVF. Spence has appeared several times in the recent past as a kind of press spokesman for this underground organization and also for the Ulster Defense Association :
- October 13, 1994: Both UDA and UVF join the IRA's provisional ceasefire, Spence reads out the declaration on behalf of both groups
- May 3, 2007: the UVF declares that their armed actions have ended and they no longer consider themselves a paramilitary organization
Web links
- BBC: Loyalist veteran's path to peace (English)
swell
- ^ Gusty Spence - Telegraph. In: telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved September 26, 2011 .
- ↑ BBC Loyalists announce a ceasefire Oct. 13, 1994
- ↑ BBC UVF calls end to terror campaign May 3, 2007
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Spence, Gusty |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Spence, Augustus (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Northern Irish politician, leader of the Ulster Volunteer Force |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 28, 1933 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Belfast |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 24, 2011 |
| Place of death | Belfast |