Group members claim microwave and radiation levels coming from technology ‘are crazy’
Sunday World has made contact with a group targeting phone masts to ask why they are setting them on fire – and what could convince them to stop.
More than 15 masts have been attacked in the last three years – causing hundreds of thousands of pounds of damage and leaving thousands of phone users with no reception.
This week the Sunday World met with members of a group behind the campaign against the masts – and they told us the attacks would continue.
Shauna Corr is shown readings from phone masts taken in Belfast this week
.
A spokesperson for the outfit, which calls itself ‘Anarchy 61’, said: “We’ve got evidence that the radiation and microwaves levels coming from them are crazy.
“They are saying ‘they are ok’ – but I don’t believe that. If they want to prove us wrong… do the studies, do the tests.
“If we are wrong, we’ll put our hands up and say ‘we are wrong’ and stop doing what we are doing if they can come out and say ‘these are safe and this is the science’.
“Let’s go back to the drawing board and get the relevant independent people to come in and do the tests… and then let’s talk afterwards,” he added.
“If they don’t do that, then they are all coming down. They’ll be done from here to Dublin in a heartbeat.
“We need to know that they are safe.”
Most of the attacks have taken place in west Belfast – between January 2023 and December 2024, there were 13 incidents involving masts in the area, according to the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service.
And the attacks are increasing – the PSNI have been called to attacks on three masts since June 11.
Politicians have blamed the attacks on the spread of “dangerous conspiracy theories online”, urging those behind them to stop because they are impacting thousands of phone users.
Yet despite those pleas, arson attacks and graffiti reading ‘open your eyes’, continue.
Another man, we’ll call Stephen (not his real name), says he has no links to the group burning 5G masts, but has real concerns about them and feels “it’s right to take them down”.
Stephen took us on a tour of north Belfast to point out a range of mobile phone towers beside homes, near a playpark and schools.
Firefighters deal with a 5G mast fire at Distillery Street in west Belfast
During that meeting he handed us a folder full of scientific and past newspaper reports about WiFi and electromagnetic field exposure, which he says led him to believe 5G masts, WiFi, mobile phones and smart watches could be harming people.
“I don’t gain anything from lying,” he told Sunday World.
“I appreciate scepticism… I don’t expect you to believe me, but I do expect you to check it out for yourself. As far as you know, I could be a nut case.
“The best thing for you to do is come out and see for yourself.
“I have six meters with me – and they are all going to show you the same thing. They can’t all be wrong,” he added.
“This is an EMF [electromagnetic field meter] – I will show you the readings.”
As he walked the Belfast streets, aiming a range of screeching EMF meters lit up red by electromagnetic field readings from masts in the area, Stephen also stopped to talk to locals and ask if they had noticed any changes in their health since the towers were installed.
He believes electromagnetic radiation from the masts is causing cancer and suicide rates to rise, as well as ‘electrosensitivity’, which includes symptoms like fatigue, sleep problems, dizziness, nausea, migraines, depression, anxiety, ringing in your ears and nosebleeds.
“I know a woman from west Belfast who got really sick when one was put up outside her house, then they put up another one and she got progressively worse,” he said.
“When the two that were near her were actually burnt down, she had a bit of reprieve, which might sound strange.
“People keep telling me they are waking up with pain in their shoulders as if they are not sleeping properly. They keep waking at 2 o’clock, 3 o’clock, 4 o’clock and I seriously believe that this is what’s causing it.
“It’s increasing cancer rates. Not only that, it is causing people memory problems, fatigue, and tiredness.”
Firefighters battle a fire at a 5g mast in the Springbank Industrial Estate in Poleglass
We put it to Stephen that all of these health issues could all be caused by modern life, bad diets, air pollution and so on.
He added: “It could be a combination of things, that’s correct. There are so many toxins that our kids are faced with.
“But what I am trying to say is that this is silent – you can’t smell it, you can’t see it.
“Pigeons that have been released are not coming back because the magnetic receptors in their head are being fried by this.”
Cornerstone, which is the company responsible for maintaining phone masts that provide signal for network providers, recently told BBC News NI it is aware some people have concerns about them.
It added: “The strong consensus of expert groups and public health agencies, such as the World Health Organisation, is that no health risks have been established from exposure to the low-level radio signals used by these base stations.” Stephen says there is “a growing amount of people” in Belfast becoming concerned about them, nonetheless.
He added: “I have had people approach me and ask me to take readings in their area and all kinds of stuff.
“I feel that it’s right to burn them down… because they are a danger to people’s lives.”
And official government guidelines on the masts says: “The health effects of exposure to radio waves have been researched extensively over several decades, and very many publications can be found in scientific journals and elsewhere.
Shauna Corr is shown readings from phone masts taken in Belfast this week
.
“Coordinated research around the world has addressed concerns about rapidly proliferating mobile communications technologies from around the year 2000.
“Independent expert groups in the UK and at international level have examined the accumulated body of research evidence. Their conclusions support the view that health effects are unlikely to occur if exposures are below international guideline levels.
“With some of the larger and more powerful base stations, there can be regions around the antennas within which the guideline levels can be exceeded. Operators identify the extent of any such regions and prevent access to them by the public.
“Many exposure measurements have been made at publicly accessible locations near to base stations and these have consistently been well within guidelines.
Emergency services at the scene of a 5g mast fire in Poleglass
Today’s News in 90 Seconds – July 20th
“The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) continues to monitor the health-related evidence applicable to radio waves, including in relation to base stations and is committed to updating its advice as required.”
The NHS says there is no “immediate concern” for using mobile phones or have a station in your area.
It says: “Despite much research, there is no convincing evidence that either will cause harm.
“However, we have only been using mobile phones widely for the last decade or so and we need more research to look at the situation, particularly in the long term.
“The body and nervous system are still developing into the teenage years. Therefore, as a precaution, the UK Chief Medical Officers advise that children and young people under 16 should be encouraged to use mobile phones for essential purposes only, and to keep calls short.”