The Five Demands

Parade violence could have ‘serious consequences’ (News Letter)
AFTER more than five years either reporting on or watching parades on Donegall Street, News Letter reporter Rebecca Black was shocked by what she witnessed on Saturday morning.
In place of the usual sleepy scene, there were lines of police Land-Rovers and hundreds of officers.
The reason for this became clear as the narrow street came into view. It was packed with loyalists and supporters, as well as the nationalist residents’ protest.
The doors of St Patrick’s Church were also open with personnel looking out nervously.
A huge cheer went up as the top of the parade appeared with the bands playing music in defiance of the Parades Commission ruling.
A police officer used a loud-speaker to inform each band in turn that were playing that they were breaking the law, but they played on.
The tension grew as the procession passed, with both sides jeering each other and exchanging taunts. Suddenly the orderly procession disintegrated into chaos, pushing and shoving and missiles started flying.
Police did remarkably well to separate them in the narrow street, but suffered for their efforts with seven officers injured. I witnessed one police officer fall to the ground after being hit on the head with a traffic cone. As the predictable blame-game started, among the priests of St Patrick’s Church there was a genuine feeling of hurt.
Whether bandsmen were hitting their drums harder than usual or whether it was due to the acoustics of the street, I could literally feel the vibration in my bones and so could an elderly priest as he stood at the doors of the church.
The priest was visibly upset. He questioned why the bands could not be more respectful of the church, but he also said many of the residents’ group did not attend the Mass.
St Patrick’s administrator Michael Sheehan could only say he was saddened, and asked why bandsmen played songs like The Sash other than to cause hurt before stopping himself, saying he was too angry to continue.
On the return route trouble again flared briefly. This time there was an indication that some had come prepared to riot. Five young men were all dressed identically in Celtic tops and grey tracksuit bottoms which seemed like a possible tactic to avoid identification.
Unionists have blamed the Parades Commission for creating this new flashpoint and nationalists have blamed the behaviour of loyalists. But there is no doubt the serious implications for future parades in the city.
Donegall Street is an integral part of every major parade from the annual Twelfth demonstration to the Covenant parade next month.
Unless matters are resolved there could be serious implications for future parades in Belfast.