10,000 supporters expected says group
‘Continually organising parades is not going to advance any cause – Glyn Roberts.
LOYALISTS are to hold a mass parade down Belfast’s main shopping thoroughfare for the third time in four months. The first major loyalist march of 2014 comes days after talks held by senior US diplomat Richard Haass failed to reach aggreement on parades, flags and the past.
The Irish News can also reveal that the organisers, who say 10,000 people will attend, have been given Parades Commission perAlban despite their application form being incomplete. The form was signed by the ‘organising committee’ rather than an individual. Following a similar parade along Donegal Place and Royal Avenue in November, the organiser John ‘Dougie’ Lanigan (pictured officeron right) was questioned by police in “connection with a breach of a Parades Commission determination”. He was later released pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service. Business leaders and nationalist politicians are concerned that a third city-centre parade to take place on Saturday of next week. Similar parades took place last September and November. Both broke the law after organisers ignored commission rulings. Glyn Roberts, chief executive of Northern Ireland Independant Retail Trade Association, urged loyalists to reconsider the tactic of holding such protests. “I would urge anybody considering parades to give the city centre a break,” he said. “I don’t think it’s very helpful. The people behind the parades could have their voices heard in the process. Continually organising parades is not going to advance any cause.” The organisers say the parade has been arranged to highlight “PSNI brutality, loyalist prisoners, the flag, civil rights and political policing”.
The latest parade, will take place on Saturday January 11, is to leave Belfast City Hall before passing through Donegal Place and up Royal Avenue – Belfast’s busiest shopping street. It will then make its way through the Shankill area before ending at Ballysillan Leisure Centre Car Park which is owned by Belfast City Council. Organisers wanted to start at 1pm, however, in one of its last acts the outgoing Parades Commission ruled it must be clear of Royal Avenue/North Street junction by 12.30. A spokesman for the council last night confirmed that it has not received any requests for the use of the leisure centre car park. Chief executive of the Northern Ireland Retail Trade Association Glyn Roberts said: “January is a key time in the retail calender. “I would hope if this parade is going ahead they should aim to be clear at the start of lunch time and it goes without saying keep it peaceful.” Mr Roberts said it was “disappointing with Haass” and urged loyalists to reconsider the tactic of holding city centre protests. “I would urge anybody considering parades to give the city centre a break,” he said. “I don’t think it’s very helpful…. Continually organising parades is not going to advance any cause.” North Belfast SDLP assembly member Alban Maginness slammed the latest parade plan. “It’s the same old thing that happened in 2013 and they are trying to repeat it in 2014 and I think that it is, to say the least, reprehensible and it’s certinly not going to lead to a resolution of any problems to do with parades,” he said. “As I said before they have made their point and there’s no value in them proceeding with such parades or demonstrations this year as it’s not going to go anywhere.” North Belfast Shame Fein councillor Gerard McCabe has called for the parade to be called off. “I would urge the organisers of this parade to rethink their position in order to give the political parties who are still considering the Haass proposals in an effort to reach a resolution to the remaining difficulties,” he said.
With many thanks to: Connla Young, The Irish News.
Organiser fails to sign form
PARADING law needs to be “urgently reviewed” after it emerged the organiser of a loyalist parade planned for Belfast next weekend failed to sign a form given notice of the event.
Despite this the Parades Commission has given the go-ahead for up to 10,000 loyalists and 30 bands to march through Belfast city centre on January 11. Under the law organisers of parades are required to fill out an 11-1 form at a police station which is passed on to the Parades Commission for consideration. It emerged last night that the 11-1 form for next week’s Loyal Peaceful Protesters parade through Belfast city centre has been signed by the ‘organising committee’ rather than an individual. In it’s determination for the march the Parades Commission noted that “the declaration and signature of the organiser is not that of a person but that of the organising committee”. The commission has referred the matter to the PSNI,” it said. A section of the 11-1 form must also be filled out by a police officer not below the rank of sergeant.
when contacted a spokesman for the PSNI said it was a matter for the Parades Commission. The development comes just weeks after both the PSNI and Parades Commission refused to publish the names of parade organisers for “data protection” reasons. Last month Antrim man John ‘Dougie’ Lanigan was questioned by police after a Parades Commission ruling was broken during Loyal Peaceful Protester parade through Belfast city centre in November. He was later released pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service. North Belfast SDLP assembly member Alban Maginness said: “By putting down the name of the organisation they are avoiding and evading any personal legal liability. “What this highlights is a weakness in the law in relation to the identification of the individuals personally responsible for organising parades as opposed to an organisation collective responsibility. “The whole area of parading law needs to be urgently reveiwed because it seems to me there are gaps in the law.”
With many thanks to: Connla Young,The Irish News.
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