Parades Forum rules out talks with nationalists

The North's Parades Forum says it is unable to trust nationalist representatives after republicans failed to prevent Tuesday night’s violence in the Ardoyne.

Up to 100 members of the PSNI were injured in the clashes when blast and petrol bombs were thrown by dissident republicans.

The Forum has cut all ties with nationalist residents despite engagement by both sides in the run-up to the Ardoyne Orange parade.

Forum Chairman Tommy Cheevers has ruled out the possibility of future discussions unless a nationalist negotiator with clout is found.

“That violence has damaged any future chance of dialogue because people can’t deliver in that area and they are trying to blame that on dissident Republicans”, said Mr Cheevers.

“There were widespread attacks throughout Belfast and indeed right across Northern Ireland. They can’t all be dissidents”, he added.

“What needs to happen is that we need to find someone, somehow, within the Republican movement that we could actually have a dialogue with that would be about compromise and stop this nonsense of trying to create apartheid,” Mr Cheevers said.