Children 'face being hurt' in school dispute

Children involved in the long-running dispute at Holy Cross Primary School in Northern Ireland will get hurt unless the loyalist protests end, it was claimed today.

With the protest against Catholic parents taking their children to school in its third week Protestant residents whistled and jeered as riot police and troops escorted pupils and their relatives to the classrooms this morning.

Today’s action passed without any trouble amid fears the protests would escalate in the Protestant Glenbryn and neighbouring Catholic Ardoyne areas.

As the parents returned after leaving their children at the school gates, they were met with another torrent of abuse, horns blowing and flags being waved.

Some banners goaded the parents about Sinn Fein’s alleged links with the Colombian FARC group following the arrests of three IRA suspects last month.

Angered by the charging of the six men and juvenile, the Protestant residents claimed the RUC had undermined their efforts to negotiate a settlement and ruled out direct involvement in any further talks.

But Father Aidan Troy, chairman of the board of governors at the Holy Cross, said today it was inevitable a child would be hurt if the demonstration continued.

‘‘It is my heartfelt prayer if there is anything anyone can do today to engage in talks, we have got to stop this before there is a tragedy.’’

Sinn Fein’s Gerry Kelly added: ‘‘The way through this is through dialogue. People who say they will not talk are taking absolutely the wrong stance, it is a DUP stance and it gets nowhere.

‘‘What good is that to anybody either the people protesting or those trying to get to school.’’