DEVIATO PERCORSO DI UNA PARATA LEALISTA
Organizzatori di una parata lealista hanno deciso di optare per un percorso differente per non creare ulteriori tensioni a Coleraine
I membri della UVF Memorial Regimental Band Association hanno deciso di modificare il tragitto della propria parata a Coleraine, nel tentativo di evitare di alimentare le tensioni all’interno della comunità.
La parata avrebbe infatti dovuto passare attraverso l’area di Heights dove lo scorso maggio venne brutalmente assassinato il cattolico Kevin McDaid.
Nei prossimi giorni gli organizzatori provvederanno a far pervenire comunicazione ufficiale alla Parades Commission.
Concordi i pareri di David McClarty (Ulster Unionist Party) e Ken Wilkinson (Progressive Unionist Party) che hanno accolto la decisione come un grande gesto di maturità perchè presa nell’interesse di tutta la comunità.
Loyalist band parade is rerouted over tensions (Newsletter)
The organisers of a loyalist band parade in Coleraine have decided to change their route in a bid to ease community tensions in the town, it emerged last night.
THE organisers of a loyalist band parade in Coleraine have decided to change their route in a bid to ease community tensions in the town, it emerged last night.
The event on Saturday week had been due to pass the nationalist Heights area where Catholic community worker Kevin McDaid, 49, was beaten to death by a loyalist mob five months ago.
Since the murder, inter-community relations in the town have been severely strained, with outbreaks of sporadic violence.
Members of the UVF Memorial Regimental Band Association have now agreed to amend their planned march in an effort to avoid a confrontation.
Ulster Unionist East Londonderry MLA David McClarty welcomed the decision.
“This news is most welcome and I must congratulate those within the community here in Coleraine who have shown maturity and leadership by their actions,” he said.
“In deciding to reroute this parade under their own steam they have shown that they are trying to promote tolerance and peace within the community here and this decision will be in the interests of the entire community.”
Progressive Unionist Party representative for the area Ken Wilkinson said the decision showed “maturity and leadership”.
While the Parades Commission has yet to receive a formal notification of the route change, it is understood the organisers will submit one in the coming days.
Eleven people have already been charged in connection with the brutal killing of Mr McDaid – seven of them with murder.
The father of four was battered to death close to his home in Somerset Drive by a loyalist mob which stormed the area after Rangers beat Celtic to the Scottish Premiership title.
A man who was critically injured in the same attack as Mr McDaid has since been targeted and beaten up a second time.
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