Britain freed more than 80 members of Northern Ireland's paramilitary groups from jail Friday, the first big release of prisoners in response to last year's cease-fires.
Families greeted released prisoners with tears, cheers and champagne at the gate to the Maze prison. The celebrations were carefully segregated: Roman Catholics welcoming released IRA relatives, Protestants their pro-British "loyalist" own.And they staged separate pickets demanding that Britain release all paramilitary prisoners, including those sentenced to life for mass murders committed as recently as two years ago.
Jim O'Carroll, 33, who served six years for possessing IRA arms, immediately denounced the British policy as inadequate.
"There are lifers in there and it's doing them no good. All prisoners should be freed immediately," said O'Carroll, who was met by his wife, Kathleen, at the prison gate.
"It is a good first step and we are happy with the introduction of this remission scheme, but it is only a first step," said Adrian Bird, a former commander for the outlawed Ulster Defense Association, the largest Protestant group.
Bird, 34, served six years for possessing guns and leaked police documents that identified IRA suspects.
The IRA began a cease-fire in September 1994, which loyalist paramilitary groups matched the following month.
Britain's Parliament last month confirmed a new policy that required paramilitary prisoners to serve at least half their sentence, instead of the previous two-thirds.