Loyalist Protests 'Must Be Peaceful' - MLAs

MLAs have said any protests organised by unionists against recent decisions made by the Parades Commission must be peaceful and lawful.

The statements follow an announcement by the Orange Order that it intended to develop its protest into a campaign of 'civil disobedience', if its demands were not met.

Order member William Mawhinney made the announcement at a protest march yesterday.

Loyalists are frustrated at the decisions made by the Parades Commission, which ruled a parade could only march once through the predominantly Catholic area of Ardoyne in north Belfast on 12 July this year.

Subsequent protests at the decision saw loyalists attack police lines with concrete slabs, bottles and stones.

Now the Orange Order says it will not cease its 'civil rights' protest until it is allowed to finish the route.

Loyalists have also called for the Parades Commission to be abolished.

The DUP's Nigel Dodds, William Humphreys and Nelson McCausland attended yesterday's protest, and told UTV that all protests should be within the rule of law.

Northern Ireland Enterprise Minister, the DUP's Arlene Foster, told the BBC's Sunday Politics programme: "We very much defend the right of people to protest on any issue.

"But what must happen, and I do make this very clear, is that people must remain within the law of the land when they engage in protest," she said.

"Some people, during the flags protest, went out to protest and things went further than they should have gone and therefore those young people now have a criminal conviction.

"I do not want to see young people, whether in Belfast or anywhere else in Northern Ireland, blighted with a criminal conviction for something that they will regret for the rest of their lives."

Alliance North Belfast representative John Blair said the place to resolve the contentious Ardoyne parade is through "meaningful dialogue."

"I again call on all sides to take part in dialogue without preconditions to find a way forward on the Ardoyne parade," he said.

"It is only through meaningful dialogue that we will resolve this matter, not continued protests.

"I am disappointed in the comments by the Orange Order that they want to see an upscale in the protests. While I respect the right of the public to take part in lawful protest, we will not find agreement over this parade if the Orange Order decide to continue down this route.

"I welcome the fact that there was no trouble at Saturday's protest, however there is the possibility of more young people receiving criminal records if these protests turn violent."

Sinn Féin's Gerry Kelly said the Parades Commission was to be commended for encouraging the Orange Order to consider dialogue to resolve the current issues.

"Over the course of the past two years the Parades Commission has pursued a resolution strategy with respect to contentious parades.

"They have succeeded in focusing the minds of the Loyal Orders on the need for dialogue and accommodation and should be commended for doing so.

"While the announcement that the Parades Commission will continue for a further period is to be welcomed, the decision to reduce its composition, particularly in advance of the consideration of the parades issue at the Haass talks, is somewhat pre-emptive.

"The capacity of the Parades Commission to build upon the progress they have made in recent times should be strengthened rather than diminished."

(IT/CD)