EIGHTH EDITION
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PARADING
1st September 2015
POST
POLICE REPORT EXPOSES
G.A.R.C. VIOLENCE
GARC Protesters carrying posters including the message, ‘March where you’re welcome’.
REPUBLICAN protesters have been in regular breach of
Parades Commission determinations involving Loyal Order
parades, police reports confirm.
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request by Grand Lodge
highlights how those associated with the Greater Ardoyne
Residents’ Collective (GARC) engaged in violence, including
the firing of gunshots at police, and other disorder in 2012.
Such illegality was directly connected to a dissident
republican parade which followed the peaceful return to
Ligoniel by a token number of Orangemen on the Twelfth of
July.
The three Ligoniel lodges abided by a ruling from the
Parades Commission that they should return via the Crumlin
Road before 4pm, despite this not being the traditional
timing. Indeed, lodge members were bussed from the field in
south Belfast to ensure they complied with the determination.
The subsequent republican parade in the same area
commenced “ten minutes prior to the time permitted” and as
it “processed the route notified the numbers involved in the
parade increased” to “1,800 persons”, according to the PSNI.
Referring to subsequent disorder in the Brompton Park area,
the report on events states that “attacks on police continued
in the area for a number of hours”.
“This included gunfire, petrol bombs, suspected blast type
bombs and heavy masonry,” it says.
Footage emerged of a masked gunman firing a reported 17
shots from an AK-47 at police lines.
Despite such violence and a murder attempt, the following
year the Parades Commission took the illogical decision to
ban the return Ligoniel evening parade, prompting the
current impasse in north Belfast.
Photo: Irish News
Orangemen and supporters have since maintained a protest
for almost 800 days.
On the Twelfth morning in 2013, police reports note
republican protesters holding a large banner and A4 posters
stating ‘No Parade No Violence’ and ‘Parade where you are
welcome’. It also notes protesters involved in verbal
exchanges with parade participants.
Later that year, in December, at an Apprentice Boys’ parade
the PSNI make reference to an apparent un-notified protest
by republicans.
“A number of persons previously involved in protests held by
Greater Ardoyne Residents’ Collective gathered outside the
shop fronts,” it reads.
“Police advised the gathering that their presence looked like
a protest and warned the group.”
A similar scenario occurred as Ligoniel lodges proceeded
along the Crumlin Road on the Twelfth morning last year.
The PSNI reports states: “No protest was notified in
opposition to this event however a number of persons
associated with GARC were observed in the area.”
In relation to Ligoniel Combine parades, the Public
Procession Report - which includes processions from the
summer of 2013 up until the 700th day of protest in June
2015 - regularly refers
to their peaceful
nature and conduct.
It concludes: “The
Ligoniel Combine
Days
Days
events remain as well
supported events by a
Drumcree
Crumlin Rd.
determined core of
supporters.”
6,267
781
EIGHTH EDITION
[email protected]
1st September 2015
NEWTOWNBUTLER PROTESTANTS OUT NOW!
DON’T FORGET YOUR SEPTEMBER
DENIED RIGHT TO MARCH HOMETOWN EDITION OF THE ORANGE STANDARD
Newtownbutler brethren & bands on parade
@OrangeOrder
Republicans, through their Residents Group, each
year submit a formal protest notification to the
Parades Commission against all Loyal Order parades.
However in the past 4/5 years Republicans have
called off their protest against Loyal Order parades
on the day of the parade itself. The likely reason for
this was that the Republican protest was seen to be
diminishing at times with only a few people turning
up. To save embarrassment Republicans seem
content to cancel their protest after the Parades
Commission makes their determination. While this
has no impact upon the Orange or Black Church
Parades that are no longer restricted the same cannot
be said for the second Orange parade held in the
town each 12th July (this year Monday 13th July) or
the Fermanagh Black Saturday parade held on the
first Saturday in August.
Every year on the 12th July morning Newtownbutler’s
five local lodges and four local bands meet outside
the Orange Hall on Main Street to parade
their hometown before
proceeding to the County
Fermanagh Demonstration. The
parade takes a similar route as that
of the Church parade proceeding
up Main Street turning right before
finishing at the top of High Street.
T h e Pa r a d e s C o m m i s s i o n r u l e
however that Bands and Lodges
returning that evening from the County
Demonstration are prohibited from
proceeding along any of their reverse
return route.
Local lodges this year were in the
ridiculous situation whereby their Church
parade containing the same people and
with similar numbers was allowed to proceed
along its return route yet the Twelfth parade
(13th July) one day later was banned from
taking the same return route for fear of
Republican violence. This in a village where
Republicans for a number of years running have
called off their protest against Loyal Order parades
and are seen to have little or no support. Questions
have to be asked at how the Parades Commission can
justify placing such a restriction on the Loyal Order
return parade.
Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland
What is frustrating for all Protestant related parades in
Newtownbutler is that for a long number of years
now support for those who oppose the parades is
almost zero. The huge majority of people living in
Newtownbutler have respect and accept the fact that
the minority Protestant community who make up
around 20% of the area should be allowed to express
their traditions, religion and culture in their
hometown. Yet the Parades Commission seem
content to allow a small number of Republicans to
damage community relations by placing restrictions
upon parades in the town.
It would seem that the Commission have a process
Newtownbutler Border Defenders Flute Band
for placing restrictions upon parades but no
framework for lifting those restrictions when things
seem to have almost returned to ‘normality’ and there
is little opposition to parades in Newtownbutler. Let’s
hope it’s not another 20 years before the local
Protestant community are allowed to freely parade in
their hometown.
WEBSITE
By Simon Wiggins, Newtownbutler
It has now been 20 years since Republicans first
stirred up trouble in the Co. Fermanagh village of
Newtownbutler. Following several years of
Republican violence in the late 1990’s the newly
established Parades Commission at that time
imposed restrictions on the Orange and Black Loyal
Order parades and the Annual Band parade all held
in Newtownbutler.
Twenty years later many of those ridiculous decisions
remain in place. This year Newtownbutler Border
Defenders Flute Band celebrated their 40th
Anniversary and like every other year they applied to
hold their annual street parade in their hometown.
The proposed route would see 12-15 bands march
from the Protestant Church of Ireland down High
Street, turning right onto Crom Road and back in
reverse order. The Parades Commission however
ruled otherwise, prohibiting bands from parading on
High Street, instead bands would be allowed to
begin their parade where the last house ends on
Crom Road. In other words the Parades Commission
pushed the annual parade to the edges of town
banning the local Protestant community from
celebrating their culture in their hometown.
Meanwhile a handful of Republicans turned up on
Main Street in the village to protest against the
annual parade. The Parades Commission had
restricted their numbers to no more than 40 people
but that evening less than 10 protesters were was
counted. A sign that the local Residents Group has
little support from the vast majority of people who
live in Newtownbutler.
Just over one week later came the annual Orange
Order parades in the village. First Newtownbutler
District No.1 Church Parade was held on Sunday 12th
July. This parade begins outside the Orange Hall
proceeding up Main Street turning right onto High
Street before reaching the Church of Ireland Church.
In previous years the return route was banned by the
Parades Commission for fear of violence by
Republicans. Yet another example of where the
commission would happily give into the threat of
violence. However in recent years the Commission
has placed no restrictions on this parade and
Orangemen and women now march back to the
Orange Hall following the Church Service.