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Orange Volunteers (OV)
Back to War Statement
We feel we have no choice but to take up guns, The cease-fire is under review, many of our members want to end the cease-fire and go to war, make no mistake this is a serious situation. We do not want to take up guns but we feel we have no choice if we want to defend our people, our faith and our country. Our people have had enough we have given to much away. We have watched as terrorism has been rewarded, Sinn Fein/IRA are winning at the moment. We don't want to lift the gun but any democrat ha s the right to lift arms in the defence of democracy. We have our own membership. We know that there is unrest in the ranks of the UVF but our security lies in the fact that we are incorruptible - we are not interested in drugs, prostitution or racketeering. The UVF are traditional defenders of localism - they are not fit to lace Edward Carsons' boots. There is a distinct fear that we are being frog-marched to Rome. We want to secure the Protestant faith.
Should the cease-fire fall our main target will be the Irelands tourist industry. There is no security on the border, what's to stop us driving down to Dublin some Monday morning and planting a dozen devices in litter bins all across Dublin? We could shut it down for days. Ordinary Catholics have nothing to fear from us, we will only hit legitimate targets. But it is a war, and innocents die in wars.
Source: Orange Volunteers.
Initially the Orange Volunteers (OV) were founded in the early 1970's. This paramilitary group was associated with the Orange Order (OO) and the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and is known to be involved in the Ulster Workers Council strike in 1974 and the 1977 Loyalist strike.
It is believed that this group fell apart in the 80's of the last century.
The name Orange Volunteers (OV) however surfaced again in 1998 when they claimed several attacks on Catholics and Catholic properties. The nature and origin of this group is unsure. Journalists and investigators assume that the new Orange Volunteers (OV) are made up by dissident members of other organisations.
Because the group appeared at the same time as the Red Hand Defenders (RHD) and because of their operational similarities the police assume that the Orange Volunteers (OV) and the Red Hand Defenders (RHD) are the same organisation or at least share membership.
The strength and the arsenal of both the Orange Volunteers (OV) as the Red Hand Defenders (RHD) is veiled in mist. They are known to have used pipe bombs, but probably also have access to hand weapons.
The Orange Volunteers (OV) declared a cease-fire in September 2000. The group maintains its ability and, according to their Back to War statement of 4 February 2001, willingness to pick up their activities.