Parades body to decide on twelfth marches
The Northern Ireland Parades Commission was today due to issue new rulings on controversial Twelfth of July marches.
Its members were reviewing disputed Orange Order demonstrations in Belfast and Londonderry - two of the hundreds of parades taking place on Thursday.
Orange leaders were calling on the commission to lift a ban on all but one lodge and band from the overwhelmingly Catholic West Bank of the city.
An estimated 10,000 marchers are due in Derry, one of the main venues for this year’s Twelfth but only those from the loyalist Fountain estate in the Cityside have been allowed to march on that side of the River Foyle.
The loyalists have submitted a proposed alternative route which would take the main demonstration into the area, without encroaching on nationalist ground, they claim.
Meanwhile nationalists in north Belfast lodged objections to small feeder parades in North Belfast, scene of sectarian conflict earlier this summer.
A residents group from the Catholic Ardoyne area and members of Sinn Fein spoke to the commission at its headquarters in central Belfast, claiming the demonstrations would be provocative.
One of the daytime marches and its night-time return has taken place in previous years but a second morning march - linking up with the first - was new, said Sinn Fein Councillor Margaret McClenaghan.
‘‘It’s a very serious situation,’’ she said.
Councillor McClenaghan also claimed commission restrictions had been broken by the loyalists at previous events and added: ‘‘They’re just walking over people’s feelings. They’ve no consideration whatsoever.’’
‘‘No matter what determination is made on them in terms of their behaviour and conduct they break every one of these determinations and have been doing so for the last number of years.
‘‘We don’t see that this Twelfth of July will be any different.’’
