Peace Vigils Held Across The North After Shootings

Thousands of people today took part in silent vigils across the North today in protest at the murder of two British soldiers in Antrim and a policeman in Craigavon by dissident republicans.

At 1pm local time, crowds gathered outside Belfast City Hall, Derry Guildhall and Newry Town Hall in demonstrations organised by trade unions.

Community leaders and politicians asked the public to show its abhorrence at the killings of police constable Stephen Carroll (48) in Craigavon, Co Armagh, on Monday night and soldiers Mark Quinsey (23) and Patrick Azimkar (21) shot dead at

Massereene Army barracks in Antrim on Saturday night. Several thousand gathered at Belfast City Hall for one of the trade union-organised rallies where Peter Bunting, assistant general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, applauded the public's desire to send a strong message against violence.

"This lunchtime thousands of citizens are gathering to collectively share moments of silence," he said."The trade union movement stands together with all citizens in solidarity to prevent any derailment of the peace process.  The callous attacks of the past few days were an assault on every citizen who supports peace."

"Here in Belfast, and in Newry, and in Derry, and at spontaneous gatherings across our land, workers and their families are making clear their abhorrence at these murders and the direct threat to the peace process."

Pope Benedict XVI has denounced the murder of the three British security force members as "abominable acts of terrorism".

He decried the shootings by dissident republicans during an address to pilgrims in St Peter's Square in Vatican City, saying the shootings seriously endangered the political process aimed at achieving peace and justice.

A Peace Book was opened in Derry Guildhall by the Mayor Gerard Diver for people to register their revulsion.

Meanwhile, police continued to question a 37-year-old man and 17-year-old youth about the murder of Constable Carroll.

They were arrested yesterday as police carried out searches in the Drumbeg estate which overlooked the small residential cul-de-sac where he died while answering a call from a distraught woman who had a brick thrown through her window.

British prime minister Gordon Brown said today the British government would enhance security in the North.

"Out of this tragedy something is happening that shows that the people of Northern Ireland, as well as the politicians, want the political process to be both maintained and strengthened," Mr. Brown told the House of Commons.

In advance of the silent vigil in Belfast, Sinn Fein representatives including the city's Lord Mayor Tom Hartley met with representatives of the Ulster Political Research Group (UPRG), which is close the loyalist paramilitary the UDA.

"One of the things that came out was that though we have ideological differences, there are common issues that we need resolutions to and we can work together on all those issues of education, employment and human rights," he said.

The threat of further dissident republican attacks remains high, the PSNI, Garda and intelligence services believe.

Irish Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy and Sir Hugh Orde are due to meet on Friday.