On Friday, during a speech at a peace event at Belfast, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney was escorted off stage by officials and hastily transported away from the site in his government car.
Police believe that British loyalist militant groups were responsible for a hijacking and the placement of a suspect device in a van that was directed to go to an event where Coveney was scheduled to speak on Friday.
The device planted by the two gunmen was declared a hoax, but Assistant Chief Constable Mark McEwan told a press conference that it was plainly planned to cause maximum disturbance. He refused to speculate on the crime’s motive.
‘We believe that these crimes were committed by loyalist paramilitary groups at this early stage of the investigation. We’re maintaining an open mind, but the UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force) is one of the main areas of inquiry,’ he explained.
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