THE Combined Loyalist Military Command (CLMC) is expected to release a statement within days supporting protesting loyalists, as senior members of paramilitary groups were yesterday said to be ‘mobilising’ ahead of a planned day of action.
UVF members held a meeting at a Shankill Road bar yesterday to receive instructions ahead of plans for a standoff between Orange men and police in North Belfast. Members of the group were ordered not to consume alcohol and to be prepared for a lengthy standoff at police lines on the Woodvale Road in the upper Shankill area where officers will stop a north Belfast return march after the Parades Commission banned Orange men from passing Ardoyne. Members of the UVF and its political wing, the PUP, are to join protesters. The UDA-linked Ulster Political Research Group has also said it will support loyalist protesters across the north over the weekend. “This determination I is perverse decision born out of fear of a reaction from a republican element hell-bent on ensuring that no parades take place at all,” a spokesman said.
“We have been listening to the overwhelming anger that this determination has resulted in. “Be that as it may, we urge our community to showrestraint from any reaction that plays into the hands of those who are enjoying witnessing this cultural apartheid. “The media is waiting for any form of violence from the Protestant unionist loyalist community that could then be used to further reduce our cultural rights and legal entitlements. “Be assured that we will be assisting our colleagues during this difficult period and urging a calm approach to this outrageous decision and promoting a positive image of the Twelfth of July.” The CLMC, comprising senior members of the UVF, UDA and Red Hand Commando, was formed in early 1990s. The group announced the 1994 loyalist ceasefires and released a statement supporting the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. While the group has been rendered ddefunct in recent years, it has continued to meet occasionally on an unofficial basis.
With many thanks to : Allison Morris, The Irish News.
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