Police chief fears marching season tensions

Northern Ireland could be facing a more difficult marching season this summer than last year, the North's most senior policeman Hugh Orde warned today.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable told the cross-community Alliance Party at their annual conference he was picking up signals that there may not be a repeat of last year’s relatively peaceful season of parades.

Mr Orde said it was vital that community workers and police started now to lay the groundwork for a quiet summer.

“I have some concerns because a few community players are already saying they are not sure that it is going to be as peaceful as last year,” he said.

“Whether that is sabre rattling, I don’t know. But I think if you look in the context of the political environment, I think it would be a reasonable assumption to say if we can’t get the politics sorted out people will get frustrated.

“One of the ways of showing that frustration in perhaps a low key way is through street disorder.”

The chief constable said politicians, community workers and security chiefs needed to be realistic about the possibility of trouble.

He added: “I think we need to start engaging communities now.”

Mr Orde paid tribute to those in the loyalist and nationalist communities who helped deliver a more peaceful summer on Northern Ireland’s streets last year.

A huge amount of work, he said, was already taking place on the ground but some groups were beginning to express concern about the potential for trouble.

Northern Ireland has for many years witnessed disturbances around Orange Order parades in Belfast, Derry and Drumcree in Portadown which have offended nationalist communities.

In 2002, there were serious disturbances along sectarian flashpoint areas of north and east Belfast.

However, last year community workers in loyalism and nationalism worked hard to avoid clashes on the ground.

Mr Orde said the potential still existed for those associated with paramilitaries to use the marching season to stir up tensions on the streets of Northern Ireland.

He said that while last year’s marching season was a success, people could not assume that this year would be quiet.