High hopes for peaceful Drumcree parade

For the fifth year in succession the Parades Commission has barred the Orangemen from parading down the nationalist Garvaghy Road in Portadown.

The ban had sparked violent protest in previous years but there were strong hopes this year that the event would pass off without trouble.

There was a feeling on the ground that the heat had gone out of the protest and that there was no wish for a fight on any side - particularly among loyalists angered at the continuing block on the traditional parade.

Northern Ireland First Minister David Trimble, Ulster Security Minister Jane Kennedy and the local police commander, Assistant Chief Constable Stephen White, all expressed hopes and expectations that the event which has often been a flashpoint for a summer of violence, would be calm.

Their hopes were reflected in a new style policing operation - while ready for anything, it was at a more restrained level than in past years.

Nevertheless army engineers moved in at lunchtime yesterday to set up barriers.

But the blockade across the bridge below the hilltop Drumcree Church where the Orangemen will be halted is much less imposing than previous years.

Razor wire has again been strung across the fields beside the bridge to prevent any effort to outflank the barrier - but again at a lower level than past years.

Around the town police and army checkpoints sprung up and all motorists entering where stopped and checked.

Ms Kennedy visited Drumcree for a personal look at the security measures yesterday afternoon.

While looking over the barrier blocking the road below Drumcree Church she unexpectedly came upon, and had a brief conversation with, David Burrows, the deputy district master of the Portadown Orangemen, who had also gone to inspect the scene.

Afterwards Ms Kennedy said she was very hopeful calm would be the order of the day.

She said she was ‘‘very confident’’ that so long as the dispute, which she described as ‘‘essentially a dispute between neighbours’’, was working towards resolution, the day would pass peacefully.

Ms Kennedy said it was an important time of year for many people in Northern Ireland which created tensions but appealed for everyone to remain calm.

Calling for a peaceful demonstration she said: ‘‘If people want to protest that is their right, let’s see it is calm and dignified.’’

Despite the huge security operation, Mr White is hopeful that the violence of recent years will not be repeated.

He said he was mounting ‘‘less warlike’’ security precautions. ‘‘I want it to be like a civic policing operation.’’

As far back as February he set the Royal Engineers the challenge of coming up with a range of security measures - from the heavy of past years to ‘‘something much more light and flexible.’’

It is the light and flexible he is going with and much of his huge force will be held in reserve.

But if trouble does break he is ready to step up the security operation. The massive old concrete filled steel barrier used in recent years has been taken back to the town. Freshly painted it is being kept down a lane ready to be moved into place if needed. Water cannon will also be on hand.

But he told PA News: ‘‘It is unlikely there is going to be a lot of violence.’’

He said intelligence reports, and public comments from the paramilitaries, indicated that ‘‘they don’t want to get involved, and I hope there will be no reason for them to’’.

What would happen today would be ‘‘a lawful organisation having a lawful protest about a lawful determination - there is no need for paramilitary involvement’’.

Mr Trimble, the local MP, appealed for calm and no violence at the parade and afterwards.

‘‘I know it is the desire of the Portadown District for things to be conducted peacefully.

‘‘I am sure we all hope that will be the case and that anybody who wants to come and support the Portadown District will do so and that there will be no violence,’’ he said.

Mr White, surveying the security measures put in place, said: ‘‘People expect to see police dealing robustly with any law breaking, expect to see police protect life and property, but also to facilitate legal protest.’’

In past years Drumcree has been the spark that has lit the fuse on summer weeks of street violence.

There appears to be a different mood this year across a province wearied by the ritual of summer violence. But Mr Trimble said what happened as the summer progressed would rest largely with the paramilitaries.

‘‘It depends on the paramilitaries. If they want to hot up the interfaces then we will have difficulties.

‘‘If they want to behave responsibly and cool things down, then we won’t have violence. It depends primarily on the paramilitaries,’’ he said.

There could be spontaneous outbreaks of trouble, but without the support of the paramilitaries there would not be serious trouble, he predicted.

‘‘So the question is , what do the paramilitaries intend? ‘‘It was clear over recent months that they wanted to hot the situation up, I hope they have had second thoughts on that.’’

Portadown Orange Order spokesman David Jones refused to comment on the security operation mounted at Drumcree. ‘‘That’s purely an operational matter for the police,’’ he said.

But he insisted that anyone wanting to cause trouble would not be helped by Orangemen to achieve their goal.

‘‘When we go down that road it will be in a dignified manner. It would be ludicrous for people to think we are going to storm whatever barriers are put up.’’