Lyra McKee: New IRA says its activists killed journalist

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Lyra McKee: New IRA says its activists killed journalist

Group’s statement came amid protests outside Derry offices of Saoradh, a republican party that reflects New IRA thinking

Matthew Weaver and Kevin Rawlinson
Tue 23 Apr 2019 01.27 BST First published on Mon 22 Apr 2019 16.19 BST

The dissident republican group, the New IRA, has admitted responsibility for the killing of Lyra McKee offering “full and sincere apologies” to her family and friends.

In a statement to the Irish News using a recognised codeword, the group acknowledged its activists had killed the 29-year-old investigative journalist and reporter, who was shot dead in the Creggan estate in Derry on Thursday, and apologised to her relatives.

However, it also sought to justify its actions, characterising them as part of a defensive operation against enemy forces.

The statement read: “On Thursday night, following an incursion on the Creggan by heavily armed British crown forces which provoked rioting, the IRA deployed our volunteers to engage. We have instructed our volunteers to take the utmost care in future when engaging the enemy, and put in place measures to help ensure this.

“In the course of attacking the enemy Lyra McKee was tragically killed while standing beside enemy forces. The IRA offer our full and sincere apologies to the partner, family and friends of Lyra McKee for her death.”

-snip-

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/apr/22/lyra-mckee-friends-stage-protest-derry-offices-saoradh

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. Other Republicans say they were trying to make Derry look lawless for an MTV documentary

Locals on the Creggan estate also named the veteran republican who sent Lyra McKee's killer and his teenage pals out to riot for the MTV cameras.
...
"It was this bitter old b*****d who organised the riot and sent that wee lad out with the gun," one furious Derry republican told Sunday Life.

"This was all done to impress Reggie Yates and the MTV crew which was filming in Creggan.

"The New IRA was trying to make Derry look lawless, like the young ones here are fighting a constant running battle with the PSNI.

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/lyra-mckee-killed-for-tv-cameras-new-ira-wanted-publicity-with-mtv-in-derry-for-documentary-38034806.html