ORANGE PARADE ‘RETURNS’ AFTER 3 YEARS

Posted by Jim on October 1, 2016

An Orange Order parade was forced through the greater Ardoyne area in
north Belfast this Saturday morning amid a military-style policing
operation and a bitter war of words among nationalists.

PSNI armoured vehicles had lined the route from early this morning and
helicopters hovered overhead as the massive security operation swung
into place.

Loyalists cheered as hundreds of Orangemen made their way up the Crumlin
Road, parading through the nationalist communities of Ardoyne,
Mountainview and the Dales. A protest against the parade by the Greater
Ardoyne Residents Collective (GARC) was limited to 60 participants by
the Parades Commission.

GARC spokesperson Damien ‘Dee’ Fennell said that the provocative Orange
march had been “resurrected” by a deal between Sinn Fein and the
loyalist paramilitary UVF. He said the it was something that “the people
of this area thought was dead and gone”, and denied claims by Sinn Fein
that it had local support.

The agreement between the Sinn Fein-supported Crumlin Ardoyne Residents’
Association (CARA) and three Orange lodges has deeply divided the
community. GARC has claimed that 85% of residents are opposed to all
Orange marches, and have accused Sinn Fein of “trampling over the rights
of residents”.

“If there is widespread community support for this deal, then why is all
this security needed?” Mr Fennell asked.

After three years of intimidation, this morning’s ‘return’ parade should
see the final removal of the long-running campsite operated by loyalists
at the Twaddell interface. The agreement also sees a “moratorium” placed
on future return Twelfth parades in the area, in return for Sinn Fein’s
support for outward parades.

Last night, a march and rally by nationalist residents brought several
hundred onto the streets in a demonstration of support for GARC. Sinn
Fein and clergymen had urged local residents to stay home and to support
their agreement to allow the sectarian parade through.

GARC’s protest went ahead despite false reports and messages online that
it had been cancelled. Mr Fennell said there had been a ‘dirty tricks’
operation, but that it had “failed miserably”.

“Not only have we proven a point that we can demonstrate peacefully as
we always have done,” he said. “We’ve also proven that there is
overwhelming support for GARC analysis and rejection by the the vast
majority of residents for SF/UVF deal.”

Last night saw another heavy deployment of PSNI as the protest march and
rally made its through the nationalist community. Protesters marched
through Ardoyne before finally reaching PSNI lines at the Estoril Park
and Balholm Drive where a short rally was held before dispersing.

Mr Fennell said: “Hundreds of residents turning out here tonight to
reject that deal to protest against the continuation of ongoing parades
dispels the myth put forward by Sinn Fein, the clergy and their friends
within the state establishment that GARC has no support in this area”.

“GARC came out tonight peacefully and radically to display the
opposition that exists to sectarian parades and this deal,” he said.

He also blasted restrictions placed on last night’s protest march by the
Parades Commission as a “disgrace”.

“We have 250 loyalists parading through this area with the blessing of
Sinn Fein,” he said. “And we’ve had several hundred residents restricted
from part of their own area. After lobbying by Sinn Fein. I think it’s a
disgrace and as the [previous] speaker put it, I think Sinn Fein has
been bought by British gold.”

In response, Sinn Fein’s Gerry Kelly accused GARC of “provoking
confrontation”.

“There are many genuine people who are exercised about the issue of
Orange parades,” he said. “But there are also people associated with
GARC who don’t want a resolution to parading and who are associated with
anti-peace process political parties.

“It is Sinn Fein’s view we need less evening parades, not more. Our
community does not need any more of our young people ending up in prison
as happened following a similar parade some years ago.

“Sinn Fein believes the agreement is a huge step forward. It represents
the best opportunity to resolve an issue once and for all, which has
plagued this community over many, many years.”

In a statement issued in return, GARC said several of its members had
received criminal records after Mr Kelly publicly called on people to
demonstrate against Orange marches from the mid-90s onwards.

‘Where is Kelly’s call for Loyal Orders to withdraw their continued
demands to march through this area?,” they asked.

“Sinn Fein are all over the place on this issue. It seems their hatred
of anyone seeking to go against their appeasement policy is clouding
their judgement regarding who is really responsible for the ongoing
problem of unwanted sectarian parades – The Loyal Orders.”