In a disgusting display of savagery a west Belfast taxi driver led a mob of about 30 people in an assault on one of his passengers - because he was a Protestant. The incident happened last weekend when Stephen Donaghy, from Blacks Road, was dumped out of a taxi in Andersonstown. (Hat tip to ATW on this)

Follow up:

After the taxi had dropped off a couple of Stephen's Catholic friends on the Glen Road, the taxi driver started quizzing the two remaining passengers and dumped them off in the staunchly Republican Andersonstown.

According to Stephen, the taxi driver stopped the car outside a chippy, grabbed a baseball bat, opened the door and began to yell "Orange Bastards!" knowing the crowd was waiting, forcing Stephen and his friend (who managed to escape the attack) out of the car. Stephen's eye specialist fears the youngster's right eye might be permanently damaged.

What pisses me off is that the Sunday Life, reporting on the incident, didn't even see fit to name the taxi firm involved. I understand there are concerns about libel and so on, but surely stick in a few allegedly's and it's not impossible - what's more the public need to be warned. And something more than "The taxi driver was believed to be driving a red-coloured car," would be nice. As a unionist myself who often has cause to be in the Black's Road/Glengoland/Poleglass area I think I have a right to be concerned. However it seems that as usual the local press is being completely spineless over the whole thing to cover their own asses.

I can only imagine how scary it must have been to have a 30 strong republican mob hurling punches, kicks and full beer cans (super strength presumably?) at him. He's probably right to believe he's lucky to be alive after being left for dead and I hope he does manage to make a full recovery.