The Five Demands

Parades body ‘is unfit for purpose’ (News Letter)

THE Parades Commission has been blasted by the DUP and loyalists who claim that the Loyal Orders in north Belfast are being punished for republican violence following a series of restrictive rulings.

Members of the Royal Black Institution have for the first time been banned from walking with music along Donegall Street in Belfast city centre. Also, RBP 210 has been banned from walking with music past the Ardoyne shopfronts and RBP 336 has been banned from walking with music past Catherine Court off the Shore Road. Longstanding restrictions, such as a ban on walking lower than Ormeau Bridge on the Ormeau Road, have also been maintained.

Meanwhile, the Crumlin and Ardoyne Residents’ Association, Whitewell Residents’ Group and the Carrick Hill Residents’ Association have all been granted permission to hold protests at the parades. The Greater Ardoyne Residents’ Collective has not applied to hold a protest.

DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds said this summer has demonstrated that the Parades Commission is “unfit for purpose”, while Winston Irvine of the North and West Belfast Parades Forum accused the commission of bias against Protestant culture.

Mr Dodds said: “This Saturday the Parades Commission has once again increased restrictions on the loyal orders by putting restrictions on the parade by Ligoniel RBP 210 down the Crumlin Road.

“This is a small dignified parade and yet their band has been excluded from a section of the route.

“The Commission is also insisting that bands accompanying Royal Black Preceptories on parade in Belfast cannot play music along a stretch of the main route into the city centre, along Clifton Street and Donegall Street. This is due to a nationalist residents group wishing to protest outside a Roman Catholic chapel.

“No restrictions were imposed on two other RBP parades along this route earlier this month.

“This demonstrates the inconsistency and the imbalance of this Commission. At no stage has it imposed restrictions on Republican parades which have passed Protestant churches and places of worship in Belfast and in towns and villages across Northern Ireland.

“Throughout Northern Ireland it has repeatedly acted in ways which have rewarded bad behaviour and have punished good behaviour. It has successively increased restrictions on loyal order parades and band parades and has failed to punish the violence of republican protestors.

“Based on its record, we have no confidence in the ability of this Commission to act in a fair and balanced manner.”

And Mr Irvine said: “From our perspective these draconian restrictions placed upon the Royal Black are in stark contrast to the approach taken to republican parades. The latest example being the republican parade in Dungiven where there were young people dresses in Republican garb with imitation assault rifles. No restriction was placed on that parade. We feel this is proof of Parades Commission bias against Protestant culture.”

Saturday will see the Royal Black Preceptory’s main parade of the year. Some 17,000 members of the Institution from 390 preceptories will parade in six locations across Northern Ireland.

The Royal Black will hold one of its Last Saturday parades in Belfast for the first time in its history. Parades will also be held in Larne, Ballynahinch, Portrush, Cookstown and Plumbridge.