Loyalist violence ‘rewarded’
SF angry as Commission refuses to review decision to let Order march through area
By Francesca Ryan
The Parades Commission’s refusal to review its decision on the controversial Whiterock parade has merely “compounded the wrong decision”, says one Sinn Féin councillor.
Residents of the Springfield Road are bracing themselves for a potentially explosive weekend after the contentious Whiterock march was given the green-light earlier this week.
The decision reached by the Parades Commission will see 50 Orangemen march through Workman Avenue and on to a nationalist stretch of the Springfield Road on Saturday while the remainder of the 800-strong parade will process through a nearby industrial estate, the former Mackies site.
On Tuesday, a Sinn Féin delegation, led by West Belfast MP Gerry Adams, met with the Parades Commission to voice their concerns over the contentious parade. Mr Adams called on the Commission to review what he termed “a deeply flawed determination”. The request was denied.
“The original determination by the Parades Commission directly rewarded the Orange Order and the unionist paramilitaries for the violence they engaged in last September,” said councillor for the Springfield area, Tom Hartley.
“I am disappointed that the Parades Commission have decided to refuse the request to review their decision. This is the wrong approach and compounds the wrong decision already taken by the Parades Commission with the initial determination. Even at this late stage I would appeal to the leadership of the Orange Order to remove their bar on talking with local residents on the Springfield Road and sit down face to face and try and seek a resolution to this issue.”
Despite efforts to avoid a repetition of the scenes of violence which flared following last September’s Whiterock parade, there is growing concern that the march will not pass off as peacefully as hoped. It is believed that neither the Orange Order nor nationalist residents are happy with the outcome.
Speaking to the Andersonstown News, Sean Murray of the Springfield Residents’ Action Group said the Commission ignored the hard work of residents in favour of rewarding loyalist violence.
“We are disappointed at the decision by the Parades Commission. We feel aggrieved that the Commission has essentially rejected the five-point plan we’ve been working on for the past three years as we are sure it could have brought around some accommodation which would be satisfactory to both sides.
“The Parades Commission however ignored the very positive work of the residents’ group in trying to find a solution, and instead rewarded the violence of last year. People are angry in the community as they see that their best efforts were ignored by the Parades Commission.”
Mr Murray said there was no reasoning behind the determination to allow a limited number of Orangemen to pass through Workman Avenue.
“The integrity of the Parades Commission is now in question.
“This is a new commission with new commissioners and we tried to work with them, but our working relationship is now in jeopardy after this decision where they have rewarded the negative events of last September.
“We have not been given a clear rationale for this decision. There have not been any changes in circumstances since last year.”
Following a meeting with the Parades Commission yesterday, the SDLP have also called for a review of the determination.
“The Commission has been responsible for a grievous error,” said Councillor Tim Attwood.
“The decision over Whiterock has caused deep resentment and anger in the local community. The Commission has turned on its head the principles that informed previous determinations and this could have significant consequences.”
When contacted by the Andersonstown News yesterday, neither the Orange Order nor the North and West Belfast Parades and Cultural Forum were prepared to comment ahead of a crunch meeting being held last night.
Journalist:: Francesca Ryan
