Ban on Orange Order parade slammed

Politicians in Northern Ireland today backed a motion which described a ban on a controversial Orange Order parade as “illogical”.

Politicians in the North today backed a motion which described a ban on a controversial Orange Order parade as “illogical”.

The Democratic Unionist motion was won by a single vote during a specially reconvened sitting of the Stormont Assembly.

Loyalists staged a protest outside the Parliament Buildings and afterwards the prominent campaigner Willie Frazer who was jailed for his part in the flags protests earlier this year was arrested for breach of bail conditions.

During the two-hour debate First Minister Peter Robinson condemned four nights of violence which erupted after Orangemen were prevented from marching on a contested stretch of road in north Belfast on July 12.

But, he claimed the Parades Commission – the adjudicating body set up in 1998 to deal with contentious parades – had got it wrong and said the body lacked credibility.

Mr Robinson said: “The Parades Commission took their decision for political reasons. They have an agenda and that agenda is that first of all they want the Orange Institution to engage with them. They want the Orange Institution to engage with local residents and they will take their decisions to further their agenda as opposed to what is right or wrong in a particular set of circumstances of any parade.

“I think the Parades Commission got it completely wrong. I don’t believe that the Parades Commission have the respect or credibility in the community to continue in being.”

Mr Robinson also called for the Orange Order to engage with an all party working group led by US diplomat Dr Richard Haas to come up with an alternative to the Commission.

Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said Belfast should learn from his native city of Londonderry where thousands of Orangemen took part in Twelfth demonstrations without incident.

He said: “The failure to learn from Derry has resulted in the mess that we have seen over the course of the last number of days.”

Mr McGuinness described the behaviour of some Orange Order members as “despicable”.

He added: “I want to pay tribute to the PSNI and the role they played in keeping the peace and in policing the Parades Commission determination. I think the Orange Order have been very badly damaged by the events over the last couple of days. I also think they have been very badly led.

“The Parades Commission were responsible for the determination but they were not responsible for the violence.”

DUP MLA William Humphrey, whose north Belfast constituency has seen some of the worst of the disturbances called for the Parades Commission to stand down.

“The Parades Commission was never the solution and is now part of the problem. It is a relic of direct rule and frankly, the Parades Commission must go,” he said.

SDLP leader Alistair McDonnell said whether people liked it or not Parades Commission determinations were law.

“Violence that we have seen here in the last few days cannot ever be justified, cannot be fudged, cannot be explained away, it must be condemned and condemned without reservation,” he said.

Assembly members were warned to keep their comments measured given the volatility on the streets. And, although there were some tense moment the debate remained largely even tempered and included appeals from all sides for the violence to cease.

Proceedings were temporarily interrupted by a false fire alarm.

The DUP motion said attempts to build a shared future have been harmed by the ban.

It called for the rule of law to be upheld and for “respect and tolerance to be shown for everyone’s cultural identity”. It was carried by 43 votes to 42.

An amendment tabled by Sinn Fein’s Gerry Kelly was lost by 44 votes to 41 despite receiving the backing of NI21, the new party led by Basil McCrea.

Outside the plenary chamber Mr Frazer expressed outrage at the stance taken by NI21.

Earlier, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Theresa Villiers told the House of Commons that attacks on the police were unpatriotic.

“The sort of behaviour that’s been taking place in north Belfast does nothing to promote ’Britishness’ or the pro-Union cause,” she said.

“Rather it undermines it in the eyes of the overwhelming majority of people in Northern Ireland and in the rest of the United Kingdom.

“In fact it is hard to think of anything less British and less patriotic than wrapping yourself in a Union Flag and going out to attack the people who are there to maintain the rule of law and protect the whole community.”

Ms Villiers called for everyone with influence including the Orange Order to defuse tensions and calm the situation.

There was a tight security presence around Parliament Buildings as dozens of loyalists took part in a peaceful protest.

PUP east Belfast representative Jonny Harvey, who helped organise the picket, said working class loyalists were angry at the Parades Commission and what they perceived as the erosion of their identity.

“The violence is completely unjustifiable,” he said. “Those people who are intent on violence by hijacking peaceful protests for their own means, mean as a result our genuine reasons and needs are being ignored because of that violence.”

The Parades Commission published restrictions the north Belfast parade, on July 9.

It ruled that the Orange Order could march past Ardoyne on the Crumlin Road on the morning of July 12 but could not use the same return route on Friday afternoon.

The 300 metre stretch of the road separates loyalist and nationalist communities.

Since Friday, 71 police officers have been injured and more than 60 people arrested for public order offences.

Six blast bombs were thrown at officers in east Belfast who were also pelted with a barrage of petrol bombs, bricks, heavy masonry and other missiles. Trouble has flared in other areas of the city with loyalists and republicans involved in disorder.

Disturbances also broke out in Portadown while in Antrim and Dungannon, police removed roadblocks.

Around 90 people took part in a peaceful white line protest in Londonderry where police seized up to 20 paint bombs.

Ahead of the Assembly meeting PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott called for calm words.

He said: “The PSNI is resolved to upholding the rule of law. Today is a day for calming words and a renewed commitment from the Assembly to finding political solutions. There are already too many injured police officers and young people facing prison sentences for anything else to be acceptable.”

Responding to the outcome of the Assembly debate, a spokeswoman for the Parades Commission said: ``The Parades Commission notes the motion narrowly passed by the Assembly today.

“The Assembly is the right place for such debate and it’s imperative that all political leaders give clear and unequivocal support for the rule of law and the cessation of all street protests which have the potential for violence.

“It is clear from some of today’s contributions that the issues surrounding parading and protesting remain highly sensitive and divisive.

“Nonetheless, the Parades Commission welcomes the positive and encouraging remarks about political representatives taking responsibility for dialogue and for challenging others to do the same.

“The Commission looks forward to the input from Mr Haas and wishes him and the all-party group well in their endeavours to find a lasting solution to the remaining difficult and unresolved issues including parading throughout some parts of Northern Ireland.

“In the meantime and in the absence of local engagement and resolution, the Parades Commission remains committed to making fair and balanced decisions in the interests of the wider community.”