Marching season concerns
Springfield residents to meet with Parades Commission today
A delegation of Springfield and Clonard residents will today meet with the Parades Commission to address “the very difficult issues” surrounding the proposed Orange Order march on the Springfield Road at the end of the month.
Speaking to the Andersonstown News before the meeting which is due to take place at 9.40am this morning – Thursday – spokesperson for the delegation, Sean Paul O’Hare, said, “This march causes immense tension within the local nationalist population.”
The officially titled Whiterock Parade, earmarked for June 25, begins on the Shankill Road, winding its way along a number of side streets, before joining the nationalist Springfield Road at the Workman Avenue junction.
It then marches the disputed route along the Springfield Road before heading back to the Shankill via Dunboyne Park.
“Last year, when the Parades Commission overturned their original decision and allowed the parade to go ahead, the prospect of a resolution to this issue was severely damaged,” said Sean Paul.
“However, the residents’ group have held a number of positive discussions with the relevant parties and we are determined to create the conditions whereby we will have a resolution to this annual problem.”
Describing last year’s decision to allow the Springfield Road parade to go ahead as “deeply flawed”, Mr O’Hare went on to say, “It showed little or no understanding of the needs of local residents when dealing with this problematic issue. As we have no local agreement to this dispute, we expect the Parades Commission to address the concerns of local residents.
“We believe that agreement is possible on this long-standing problem through positive and sustained dialogue between the main protagonists,” he continued.
“As local residents we would like to appeal to everyone concerned to show restraint and responsibility in the coming days.”
A decision on the controversial parade, however, is not expected before Monday, amid fears that any decision may inflame already heightened tensions surrounding Friday’s controversial Orange Order Tour of the North march in North Belfast.
Journalist:: Ciara McGuigan
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Nationalist reps express concern as march pace quickens
Nationalist representatives from across the greater Belfast area have met with Security Minister Shaun Woodward to express their concerns about the loyalist marching season.
On Monday Sinn Féin Assemblymen Gerry Kelly, Alex Maskey and Fra McCann spoke with the Labour MP.
A day later it was the turn of an SDLP delegation comprising MLAs Alban Maginness, Alex Attwood and Dolores Kelly.
The major loyalist parades concerning nationalists are Friday’s Orange Order’s Tour of the North and July 12 march in North Belfast, the West Belfast Whiterock parade at the end of June, and the illegal July 1 and 12 parades in East Belfast.
In previous years these five parades have been the catalyst for widespread disruption throughout the city. They all involve loyalist marchers parading past nationalist homes.
During their meeting with Mr Woodward, Sinn Féin impressed upon him the need for the rights and entitlements of nationalist communities to be upheld.
Gerry Kelly said, “Nationalist communities have displayed a willingness over many years to enter into dialogue with the Orange Order over parades.
“Unfortunately these advances have been spurned by the Orange Order and in some cases this intransigence has been rewarded with parades being forced through nationalist areas.
“A massive responsibility still rests with the leadership of the Orange Order to end its attempts to march through nationalist areas.
“They do this without recognising the concerns of host communities and entering into a process of real dialogue and reaching agreement with them.”
The SDLP’s Alban Maginness said that after meeting Mr Woodward he hoped “the flaws” evident in how the British government handled last year’s marching season would not be repeated in the coming weeks.
The North Belfast MLA added: “The SDLP made it as clear as glass that the authority and role of the Parades Commission must be protected.
“No Orange lodge, group of troublemakers or UDA faction can be permitted to damage the Commission or community relations.
“A strong hand must be shown, where required, to help create the peaceful summer the SDLP and the community wants.
“I believe that goodwill, good policing and good efforts can achieve this outcome.”
Adding to nationalists’ loyalist march fears is the willingness of Orangemen in East Belfast to take part in illegal parades.
The Parades Commission has declared a number of marches planned for the area on July 1 and 12 illegal because the Orange Order deliberately failed to fill in its parading application forms properly.
This was done to prevent individual Orangemen being held accountable should any unlawful displays take place during a parade.
Loyalists have warned that a stand-off could occur should the PSNI try and prevent an expected 20,000 loyalists from marching in East Belfast during July.
The area’s Democratic Unionist MP Peter Robinson said there could be possible Drumcree-style stand-offs and confrontations.
Journalist:: Ciaran Barnes
