Unionist questions commitment by republicans

A senior Ulster Unionist today questioned the commitment of republicans to the peace process, urging them to end protests against Orange marches.

As yesterday's Twelfth demonstrations passed off more peacefully than expected, UUP Assembly member and Culture Minister Michael McGimpsey, said it had shown the marches did not have to be the focal point for civil unrest.

"We need to see an end to the orchestration of sectarian protests from republicans or whoever is managing them," he said.

He said: "To attempt to tell people they have no right to express their culture is another way of saying they have no right to exist. It questions the commitment to the peace process by some and demonstrates at the very least a lack of tolerance".