The Progressive Unionist Party, the UVF's political wing, yesterday launched its Yes campaign in Ballymena, the heart of the Rev Ian Paisley's north Antrim constituency.
The PUP accused No campaigners of hyping fears and raising tensions, which had led to recent killings in the North. Mr Billy Hutchinson said: "All of those people out there in the No campaign had better take responsibility. If they are going to frighten people with a united Ireland, then they will be responsible for creating more deaths.
"We have already seen a number in the past couple of weeks and those people who say we are on a road to a united Ireland had better realise that they are making people very, very nervous and this is making people pull triggers."
The PUP leader, Mr David Ervine, called on people in the North to keep a cool head about the agreement. "People have to listen to rational arguments, not emotional arguments. For the first time, they have a chance to say how they will be run and I ask the people of Northern Ireland to think carefully."
Mr Ervine denied the choice of location for his campaign launch was designed to antagonise Dr Paisley.
He insisted the Union was not being weakened by the agreement and he urged the No campaigners to respect the wishes of the majority of people in the North. The principle of consent should be paramount.
The No vote's real problem was that it could not accept granting "equality to the other tradition".