New appeal made to Orange Order to talk

LOYAL ORDER LEADERS have been urged once again by North Belfast Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly to engage in talks with elected representatives and representative community groups around the small number of contentious parades after sustained rioting in Ardoyne and other areas around Orange Order marches on The Twelfth.
The largest outbreak of trouble occurred in Ardoyne in North Belfast.
A highly visible and peaceful protest by the Crumlin & Ardoyne Residents’ Association —  supported by Sinn Féin and attended by senior republicans including Gerry Kelly, Bobby Storey and Bik McFarlane — about an Orange Order parade past the nationalist Ardoyne took place without incident but their point being made.
Another protest was held by the Greater Ardoyne Residents’ Collective (GARC) and was followed by sustained rioting, hijacking of vehicles, and attacks on the PSNI.
Commenting on the aftermath of the Orange Order parade being forced through Ardoyne, Mountainview and the Dales on The Twelfth, Gerry Kelly said:
“The principal reason why tensions are raised here each summer is entirely down to the continuing failure of the Orange Order to sit down and enter dialogue with their neighbours. Instead, they arrogantly insist on marching through communities where they are not wanted.
“The residents of Ardoyne held a dignified and peaceful protest against the unnecessary and unwanted Orange parade. There were others who decided to apply for an additional parade to enter the Crumlin Road at the same time as the Orange parade was scheduled to pass. This provided a focus for mainly young people from outside Ardoyne to travel to this area yesterday. A small number decided to engage in rioting.
“Local people are angry at the Orange parade being forced through this community and are also angry at the fact that, long after the parade had passed, cars were being hijacked and damage done to people’s homes in this area.
“I have already raised with the PSNI this morning the premature use of water cannon. A small number of people were involved in the rioting. We are absolutely opposed to the use of plastic bullets in riot situations and have made this clear on many occasions. These are lethal weapons.
“It is now important that the people who live here in Ardoyne are able to get this district cleaned up and returned to normality. What we don’t need is a repeat of last night’s incidents going forward.”
Rioting by youths in the nationalist Broadway area of West Belfast on Eleventh Night was nothing more than violence for its own sake but which caused immense distress to local residents, particularly elderly people, and damage.
Sinn Féin MLA for West Belfast Jennifer McCann slammed those responsible and urged young people not to get caught up in rioting, saying that the disturbances at Broadway was caused by anti-social elements.
“There was clearly no rationale for gathering last night at Broadway other than the purpose of having a riot.
“Those behind it are not welcome here and they are the very same people who are responsible for anti-social behaviour throughout the year.”
In the Short Strand area of East Belfast, the Parades Commission has been asked to examine if its conditions on an Orange Order march past the nationalist enclave and the local St Matthew’s Catholic Church were breached by loyalist bands playing ‘The Sash’ and sectarian songs.