Protest shows peace process still backed

THE extremes on both sides of the sectarian divide in Northern Ireland "desperately want to kill the peace process and put themselves back centre-stage in dominating the politics

He warned that ordinary people needed to show resolution and endurance by taking to the streets in support of yesterday's protest rally against sectarianism.

The protest, which was initially called by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Alex Maskey, following the killing of Catholic teenager Gerard Lawlor last week, was provided with added poignancy by the murder of Protestant workman David Caldwell in Derry on Thursday.

All of the political parties were represented, with the exception of Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists, which stayed away in protest against the participation of Alex Maskey of Sinn Féin.

The Catholic Bishop of Down and Connor, Dr Patrick Walsh, the Church of Ireland Bishop of Connor Dr Alan Harper, the Presbyterian Moderator of the Belfast Synod, the Rev Terry McMullan, and the Rev David Kerr of the Methodist Central Mission encouraged all who took part in the rally to express their abhorrence of sectarian violence and sectarianism.

Even though the protest was not as large as a similar protest last January following the murder of Catholic postman Daniel McColgan, the broad political, religious, and trade union solidarity supporting yesterday rally was evidence of the continuing support for the peace process.