Protesters plan to block loyalist march

A mass protest is being planned to block loyalists in Northern Ireland marching along a flashpoint route.

Furious residents on Belfast's lower Ormeau Road plan to distribute thousands of posters and leaflets at republican Easter rallies after the decision to allow the Apprentice Boys to parade through the area.

If a legal bid to have the Parades Commission's ruling overturned fails, nationalists from all over Ireland will be urged to swell numbers at a protest planned for Sunday evening.

Such an event raises the prospect of a repeat of violent clashes between residents and the Royal Ulster Constabulary after previous marches were forced through.

Gerard Rice, spokesman for the Lower Ormeau Concerned Community (LOCC), insists he is confident that court action will block loyalists from parading along the route on Easter Monday.

However, Mr Rice also confirmed plans were afoot to stage a mass rally in the area to highlight residents' deep resentment at the Commission's decision on Friday.

He said: "If we fail there's a rally on the Ormeau Road, although the community has not made a decision on what type of protest it will be. We have plans at the minute to give out thousands of posters and leaflets."

The LOCC are expected to meet with the Commission again tomorrow to ask for a rethink of the ruling. After that, the residents' legal team are thought to be seeking an emergency judicial review of the decision in Belfast's High Court.

If that fails then an appeal will go up at next Sunday's annual Republican rallies for people to travel to south Belfast in a show of solidarity.