The Five Demands

Republicans ‘compete to whip up parade tensions’ (NewsLetter)

Competing republican factions are using Loyal Order parades as a way of enhancing their own reputations within local communities, it has been claimed.

Orange Order spokesman Drew Nelson was speaking following the publication of a report highlighting the benefit of parades to the Northern Ireland economy.

Mr Nelson said it was particularly evident that dissident republicans are attempting to whip up tensions around the parading season in a bid to attract a new generation of recruits.

“I have a slight concern in that I do see the opposition to our parades being partly influenced by internal competition between mainstream republicans and dissident republicans,” he said.

Mr Nelson said he accepted there was still a small number of areas where parades are considered contentious, but added: “In particular, dissident republicans are now whipping up more of the opposition to our parades as some attempt, I think, to gain the loyalty of young republicans away from the mainstream republican movement.”

Related articles

• Republicans ‘compete to whip up parade tensions’ (newsletter.co.uk)
• Tensions ‘whipped up by dissidents’ (newsletter.co.uk)