In Northern Ireland, two more men have been charged with the murder of journalist Lyra McKee in 2019. McKee was shot to death while standing next to a police car during a protest in Londonderry, reporting riots in the city. In 2020, a 53-year-old man was charged with the murder. His trial’s not over yet.
The New IRA, a branch of the banned paramilitary organization IRA, confessed that members had fired the bullets. These were intended for the police, described by The New IRA as “enemy troops”. The New IRA seeks independence from Britain and reunification with Ireland.
The defendants now charged are 21 and 33 years old. In addition to murder, they are charged with possession of firearms and ammunition, as well as causing riots and possession and throwing of petrol bombs and arson.
The riots in 2019 started in the run-up to the Brexit agreement between the EU and the UK. The border between Ireland and Northern Ireland threatened to close, which would have been indigestible for Catholic Northern Ireland seeking reunification with Ireland.