RESIDENTS GROUPS CRITICISE PARADES TALKS IN CARDIFF !

‘They are going to solve nothing by going over there. It’s going to be solved in the areas affected by theCalifornia. - Frank Dempsey.

REPRESENTATIVES of some nationalist residents groups at parade flashpoints have criticised a PSNI/RUC initiative to reduce tensions ahead of the main marching season. Police officers, political representatives and community workers are in Cardiff to discuss ways of reducing tensions in the run up to the main marching season.

However, a number of nationalist residents groups at several key flashpoints, which are not aligned to Sinn Fein, were not invited to those talks. Carrick Hill residents spokesman Frank Dempsey, whose group is opposed to loyal order marches past the area and nearby St Patrick’s Church, expects little to come out of the talks. “Even if we had been invited we would not have gone,” he said. “They are going to solve nothing by going over there. “It’s going to be solved in the areas affected by these parades. “We don’t have to go anywhere else to talk, we can go to an orange hall or the front room of someone’s house to talk.” Sean Hanna, chairman of Rasharkin Residents Collective, which is opposed to loyal order and loyalist parades through the mainly nationalist Co An trim village, also criticised the event.”They have used the process so they could choose the right people to deliver in Wales their pre-planned political message,” he said.

Mr Hanna revealed last week that his group has been involved in direct talks with the Orange Order in Rasharkin, although the order has denied the claim. A spokesman for Greater Ardoyne Residents Collective, which objects to loyal order parades going past the nationalist district in north Belfast, said : “They must take a bold step up to the mark and desist from treating our communities as second class citizens and let’s build together a real and genuine island of equals in which a shared further can exist, one in which we and all our children deserve.” “Then and only then, can we together realistically considerer looking at bringing walls and barriers that device our communities down, once and for all.” A police spokeswoman said the event was “planned to enable us to have an open and frank conversation about policing in Belfast”. “Given the critical role played by the police in our communities, our discussion will focus on the issues facing policing in Belfast and on identifying ways of building and sustaining a broad base of support for policing and strengthening community-based approaches,” she said.

With many thanks to : Connia Young, Irish News.

Discussions ‘to reduce tensions’

THE PSNI-organised talks at a four-star Cardiff hotel which began yesterday are being attended by all the north’s main parties, along with republican and loyalist community leaders. However, none of the loyal orders or the Parades Commission is taking part. Headed by Assistant Chief Constable George Hamilton, the 34 participants include six senior police officers. Police have insisted the talks are not about trying to resolve parades disputes but are designed to reduce tensions and address complaints about how police have responded to unrest over recent months.

The discussions are being chaired by facilitators from the Universty of Ulster and Stanford University in Califorina. Delegates include senior republican Sean Murray, UDA leader Jackie McDonald and Winston Irvine of the UVF-allgned PUP. Other delegates include the former moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Rev Norman Hamilton. The event is expected to cost the public up to £26,000 with the cost split between the PSNI and the NIO.

John Manley.

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TALKS IN WALES EVIDENCE OF ‘POLITICAL POLICING’ : LOYALISTS

‘Their political policing strategy has had disastrous consequences over the past four months - John Wilson.

A GROUP set up by loyalist flag protesters has branded plans byconsequences the PSNI/RUC to hold talks in Wales with politicians and community represdestroyed s ahead of the marching sseason as evidence of “political policing”. The Ulster People’s Forum (UPF) last night said it had not received a request to take part in talks and would have turned down an invite if asked.

“The UPF view is that the PSNI have been clear their job is policing and we feel they shouldl stick to this remit as their political policing strategy has had disastrous consequences over the past four months with relationships in some loyalist areas almost detroyed to the point of no return,” forum chairman John Wilson said. It emerged this week that the PSNI/RUC in conjunction with Univeristy of Ulster academic Duncan Morrow, has invited representatives of pilitical parties to Cardiff next weekend to discuss policing issues ahead of the summer marching season. Tensions continue in parts of Belfast around loyal parades including Ardoyne and outside St Patrick’s church in Donegall Street.

Policing reached crisis point  during the winter as loyalists blocked roads and attacked police and Alliance politicians in the wake of the decision by Belfast City Council to stop flying the Union Flag every day. The UPF was formed weeks after the flag protests started in December with leading protesters Jamie Bryson and Willie Frazer emerging as spokesmen. This week PSNI/RUC chief constable Matt Baggott said the meeting was an attempt to build relationships “with a veiw to this summer’s parading”. It emerged last night that neither the Orange Order or represtatives of nationalist residents’ groups in flashpoint districts had been invited to attend the Cardiff event. Mr Wilson of the UPF conceded that the number of flag-related protests was well down compared to previously but blamed police tactics which he described as “political policing”. “There  are a lot of people out there with wives, familes and jobs and they can’t afford to be arrested or questioned.” Orange Order grand chaplain the Rev Mervyn Gibson confirmed last night he had been invited to attend the talks through a church group with which he is involved but he declined because of a prior engagement. He confirmed that the Orange Order itself had not been invited to attend the talks.

With thanks to : Connia Young, Irish News.

PORTADOWN GATHERING MAY BE ILLEGAL !

A CONTROVERSIAL Orange Order gathering planned for Portadown could be deemed an illegal procession if not notified to the Parades Commission, it has emerged.

Unio. sts on Craigavon Borough Council voted against police advice to allow the People’s Park to be used for the ‘prayers in the park’ event just before a major mini-Twelfth parade on June 8. Nationalists have criticised the order for raising tent ions and expressed concern that it was trying to stage a march in the Garvaghy Road area “by the back door”. Organisers had believed that notification to the Parades Commission was not required as they were not marching in formation to the park. However, under the Public Processions Act any convoy of vehicles or group of people walking in significant numbers to an event in a sensitive area would require notification to the commission.

This means even if the Orange men drive to the park – which is surrounded by marionalist homes – in coaches or cars it could still be considered an illegal procession and leave them liable to prosecution. Portadown grand master Darryl Hewitt yesterday said no consideration had yet been given as to how members would make their way to the event. The park straddles the nationalist Garvaghy Road and Robin Street areas of Portadown that have been the scene of violence in the past. Orange men have been prevented from marching along Robin Street since 1985 and the Garvaghy Road since 1998.

“We would expect police to be in touch with us in the coming days and we will listen to what they say and then Portadown district officers will meet to discuss how we will get there,” Mr Hewitt said. “As for the Parades Commission I don’t expect to hear from them any time soon. “Regardless they would be better doing what they are supposed to do which is promote concilaition  rather than interfering in matters that are none of their concern.” Despite the sensitivites around the area, Craigavon Borough Council narrowly voted in favour of allowing the event on Tuesday. Police concerns about publc order split the council’s UUP members, with Councillor Ronnie Harkness voted against the move, saying it could place police officers in danger. The Garvaghy Roads Residents Coalition has said it is taking legal advice on the council’s decision. Around 2,000 Orangemen and 2,000 supporters are to take part in the mini-Twelth march in Portadown on the same night. A significant numbers of those expected to attend the event in the Peoples Park.

With many thanks to : Allison Morris, Irish News.

 

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DUP MP NIGEL DODDS CALL’S ARDOYNE FIANNA ” CHILD EXPLORATION & GLORIFYING PARAMILITARY ACTIVITIES AND VIOLENCE ‘ !

” So Mr Dodds and Nelson McCauseland : ” What the fuck do you call this ? ” Are you going to condemned the exploitation of children glorifying paramilitary activities and violence on the fucking Orange side too ???

Child exploration has been happening within the Orange Order for many many years.

 

 

 

 

DISSIDENTS PARADE KIDS IN PARAMILITARY GARB

Use of children to glorify violence disgraceful says MP

THE use of primary school children dressed in paramilitary uniform and marching in military formation to lead a dissident republican parade has been ccondemned as ” disgraceful “. There were calls for the children’s commissioner to investigate after three boys were dressed in berets, dark glasses and black gloves at a North Belfast Easter commemoration.

After the boys led the parade to a Fianna mural in Ardoyne a gunman emerged from the crowd and fired shots into the air. Na Fianna hEireann is the youth wing of the IRA. Several hundred people attended the parade organised by Republican Network for Unity  (RNU) and the Henry Joy McCracken flute band. North Belfast DUP MP Nigel Dodds said it was ” disgraceful to see children being used to glorify paramilatary activites and violence “. ” This is highly inappropraite and I would call on the children’s commissioner and the revevant ahthorites to investigate this incident thoroughly,” he said. RNU spokesman Ciaran Cunningham said the group – which recently announced it was considering standing candidates in future elections – had helped to orginise the march but distanced himself from the involvment of the children. ” The Fianna parade is now in its third year and while RNU and Henry Joy McCracken band provided the plaque and help with some of the logistics required to orgainse such an avent the cosmetic pageantry wuold not be a matter for us and would be a oganised at a local level,” he said. Nigel Dodds said : ” My party ccolleagues and I will be pursuing these matters with the police and will be asking serious questions about the flagrant promotion of criminality and terrorism. ” Given that this parade and wreath laying were notified to the PSNI/RUC and to the Parades Commission what level of monitoring and observation did those authorities have in place ? ” In the light of what has occoured what actions will the PSNI/RUC and the Parades Commission be taking against the organisers ?

Gunman firing shots into the air at Ardoyne parade

” I know absoulutely nothing about the shots being fired but will take no lectures from Nigel Dodds or any other member of his party that regularly particpates in events glorifying and encourging recruitment to the British Army,” he said. ” The bulk of armed men in Ardoyne on Saturday were members of the PSNI/RUC. ” We would not have been made aware of the finer details of the pageantry beforehand but I’m not going to start condemning people on the ground for what is a fairly minor thing.” $hame £ein assembly member Gerry Kelly cocondemned the firing of shots at Saturday’s parade. He said dissident republicians had been exploting parades ” as a cover to do other things “.

With many thanks to : Allison Morris, Irish News.

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RESIDENTS MAY DEFY PARADES BODY AND PROTEST

” Why parishioners not allowed to stand outside their own church when the leadership of the UVF can stand outside it ” ? - Frank Dempsey.

NORTH Belfast nationalists will tonight decide wwhether to defy a ban on holding a protest outside a Catholic Church during a controversial Apprentice Boys parade. People living in Carrick Hill reacted angrily after the Parades Commission restricted the location of proposed protests as marchers pass the flashpoint St Patrick‘s Church and nearby nationalist homes on Easter Monday.

Protests at a car park opposite the city centre church and at Clifton Street are limited to 30 people. A request to sstand directly outside St Patrick’s – the parish church of many of the protesters – was turned down. The commission was criticised last week for permitting Apprentice Boys to take one band and 60 members along the disputed route. Although bandsmen will be allowed to play loyalist tunes while passing Carrick Hill they will be restricted to a single drum beat when passing St Patrick’s on Donegall Street, the scene of violence surrounding parades last summer. Residents spokesman Frank Dempsey last night said his community might decide to ignore the commission both on where protets are held and the numbers taking part. Referring to previous parades pasr St Patrick’s, he asked : ” Why are parishioners not allowed to stand outside their own church when the leadership of the UVF can stand outside it ?’”

Mr Dempsey said that before coming to a decision people in the area will consider comments Cheif ConstableM Matt Baggott made during the Union Flag protests. He said ” People are asking Do we really have to go near the Parades Commission given what Matt Baggott said in January that anyone is entitled to a peaceful protest ?” ” Resident groups are abiding by determinations and the Loyal Orders don’t even consult witb the Parades Commission and then break their determinations. ” Then they are rewarded in places like Carrick Hill, Ardoyne and Short Strand.” The commission has also been criticised for allowing the Apprentice Boys to march past Ardoyne interface despite having turned down an offer to meet residents.

SDLP councillor Nichola Mallon said an ” apparent lack of consistency ” in the commission’s decisions was a sourse of frusration. It needed to explain its reasoning better, she said. ” Residents in Carrick Hill are asking me why, when the commission deemed the route past St Patrick’s controversial and reflected this in its determination on the parade, are they not allowed to peacefully protest at this spot outside the church ?” She said. Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly said : ” Wwithout  dialogue from the loyal orders, with either the residents or the Parades Commission , parades should not get the go-ahead.” The commission declined to comment. Police said : ” The PSNI does not discuss operational procedures ahead of any event. However, any event will be monitored and all appropriate advice given and action taken where necessary. ” All parades and protests are policed appropriately and in accordance with Parades Commission determination.”

With many thanks to : Connia Young, Irish News.

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” ONE SIDED NATURE OF POLICING ” !

APPEALS DECISION SLAMMED !

THE FAILURE BY members of an Ardoyne residents group to overturn their convictions for staging a sit-down protest during a disputed Orange Order parade highlights the one-sided nature of Policing against republicans, a spokesman for the group has said.

Yesterday ( Wednesday 16th May ) eight men, including some members of Greater Ardoyne Residents Collective (GARC), had their appeals against conviction in relation to a sit-down protest on the Crumlin Road last July rejected. The eight, including GARC spokesman Dee Fennell, were ordered to pay the £400 fines imposed in December last year. So far a total of 28 people have been convicted in relation to the blockade, which preceded three days of violence in the area. Speaking to the North Belfast News yesterday Fennell said the failure of the appeal brings into focus the comparatively low number of arrests in relation to recent high profile loyalist protests, including the December 2010 protest outside Belfast City Hall over a decision by Sinn Fein mayor Niall O’ Donnghaile not to present an army cadet with an award, anddisturbances during the loyalist Tour of the North Parade in June 2011 when loyalist protesters were seen climbing on Police vans and drinking in the street. ” This just clearly shows the one-sided nature of Policing of parades here,” said Fennell. ” Loyalists seem to be able to protest willy-nilly yet when a group of nationalists hold a peaceful, non-violent sit-down protest against a Orange Order parade they are dragged through the courts. It highlights the continuing demonstration and criminalization of the Ardoyne community.

So far there have been no arrests for the protest at Belfast City Hall because police say no formal statements of complaint were made. There have also been no arrests for the Tour of the North disturbances. A police spokesman also confirmed that there had been no arrests in connection with a 2010 loyalist blockade at the enterance to the Asda supermarket on the Shore Road in support of Asda worker Billy Hunter who was saked for allegedly making a sectarian comment. He subsequently got his job back. Furthermore,there has only been one youth charged in connection with rioting in Rathcoole in October 2010. ” Nationalists have the right to protest peacefully against unwanted loyalist parades in their area, but this is not reflected by the Policing.”

The police spokesman said they ” always seek to make policing decisions to the benefit of the entire community”. ” We do recognise that sometimes policing decisions can be controversial but we would again assure people that any decisions we take are based upon the prevailing need at the time and with the intention of preventing any harm to the community,”     he said. Dee Fennell said the eight who failed in their appeal are willing to go to jail rather than pay the fines. He added that GARC will continue to stage peaceful protests against Orange Order parades through Ardoyne. The eight men who appealed were Dee Fennell; Daniel Lundy; John Darragh; Paul Carson; Alan Lundy; William Catney; Robert Jackson and Aiden Ferguson.

WITH THANKS TO : GEMMA BURNS, NORTH BELFAST NEWS.

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NO PAYMENT DETAILS FOR PARADES INITIATIVE LEADER !

Lord John Alderdice is examining if progress can be made ahead of the controversial Twelfth parade in Ardoyne in July. It is part of ongoing attempts to avoid a repetition of the violence seen in recent years during the marching season. Last year the violence following the Orange Order parade past nationalist homes in Ardoyne lasted for four days. With only eight weeks until July 12, no resolution between nationalists and the Orange Order has been met. The North Belfast News understands Lord Alderdice has only met with nationalists parades group Crumlin Roadand Ardoyne Residents’ Association (CARA),

once since the announcement of his involvement in the parading issues last month, giving rise to fears no agreement will be made and lead to a repeat of previous years’ violence clashes. A spokesman for the Parades Commission refused to say how much the former Alliance party is being paid to carry out his role. ” The Parades Commission invited Lord Alderdice to examine if progress could be made or agreement reached around parading in Ardoyne,” he said, ” To date he has had a number of meetings with different groups in different formats and more are planned. In asking him to carry out this work the Commission acknowledged Lord Alderdice’s international reputation in community relations and peace-building and agreed he should be remunerated for the hours spent on this work at a level appropriate to his experience,” he said.

WITH THANKS TO : GEMMA BURNS, NORTH BELFAST NEWS.

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BEAL FEIRSTE REPUBLICAN TOUR SAT 16th JUNE

Sean Mac Diarmada Society Ardoyne

POSTED ON BEHALF OF :seanmacdiarmada.ardeoin

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‘Ardoyne-style talks’ wanted at Drumcree

Craigavon Council is set to ask the Parades’ Commission to set up a new initiative – similar to one in north Belfast‘s Ardoyne – aimed at resolving the long-running Drumcree dispute in Portadown.

http://www.u.tv/utvplayer/everywhere/player.aspx?vidid=144181&chapid=118274&arti_id=636585e6-3dfc-417b-a49f-85c04f816293&clientid=100000

Orange Order parades have been banned from the Garvaghy Road since 1998 but, while violent scenes of the past have not been replicated in recent years, weekly protests are still held by members of Portadown District.

“I know there’s a small number of people who think that the problem has gone away,” the Ulster Unionist Party‘s Colin McCusker said, having put forward a motion on the issue on Tuesday night.

“But for the 900 members of Portadown District, their families and supporters, this problem still persists.

“We’ve had over 5,000 protests now – it’s still ongoing and I want to see a resolution to it.”

But according to the Garvaghy Road Residents’ Coalition, the issue has already been resolved.

Spokesman Breandan MacCionnaith told UTV: “Coming from the viewpoint of this community, Drumcree has been solved.

“There have been many initiatives over the years – I can’t see what another one’s going to bring to the table.”

He added: “The Orange Order knows that they have a perfectly acceptable, viable route to take them back from Drumcree church into the town centre.”

But Portadown’s District Master Darryl Hewitt disagrees.

“I think any dispute, if one side is not happy with the outcome, then the situation hasn’t been resolved,” he said.

Portadown District certainly are not happy with the current situation and we seek to get a resolution that suits everybody – we have said for these past five years that we’re willing to meet anybody with no pre-conditions.

“And that includes the Garvaghy Road residents.”

The UUP’s motion that the council write to the Parades’ Commission was backed by the DUP and Alliance Party, but opposed by Sinn Féin and the SDLP.

SDLP councillor Joe Nelson said that his party didn’t feel that mediation had worked in the past.

“Unless there’s some new and radical thinking coming forward, we don’t believe that the north Belfast model is particularly going to work in Portadown,” he added.

The motion was passed by majority vote and a letter will be sent to the Parades’ Commission.

WITH MANY THANKS TO : UTV News

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