An Phoblacht/Republican News, July 3, 2004
DRUMCREE QUIET, BUT DISPUTE CONTINUES
July 3, 2004
The tenth annual parade by Orangemen in Portadown since trouble
first arose passed off quietly yesterday, but there is still no
sign they will hold face-to-face talks with nationalist
residents.
Less than a thousand members of the Protestant Orange Order took
part in the parade, which was rerouted away from the
predominately Catholic Garvaghy Road, where residents again
objected to the march through their area.
The Portadown Lodge had caused a rift within the Orange hierarchy
after making contact with the government-appointed Parades
Commission, which leaders do not recognise. The lack of Orangemen
from across the county reduced the usual numbers of
bowler-hatted, sash-draped marchers.
A smaller than usual media presence also served to reduce tension
for what had once been the worst day for confrontation and
conflict in the North of Ireland.
Although the presence of British Crown forces was lower than in
recent years, fields near the infamous barricade were filled with
soldiers, and 50ft high cameras surveyed everything that moved in
the area.
Local Orangemen said they were disappointed at the Parade
Commission's ruling to reroute the parade for the seventh year,
but said work to resolve the dispute would continue.
District Master David Burrowes was in determined mood when
addressing Orange Order members.
"No matter what people say, Portadown District is still on the
road," he said.
"We have continually worked since 1998 in a variety of ways to
try to resolve this while maintaining a stand started by our late
District Master Harold Gracey.
"There must come a time when this crazy decision to uphold the
nationalist veto on our parade is ended."
The numbers at yesterday's Drumcree parade were down on previous
years. A few hundred lined the route out to Drumcree Church.
There was also fewer flags on show on the Garvaghy Road and in
loyalist areas.
After an hour-long church service, the parade formed up again and
walked the short distance to Drumcree bridge and the security
barrier.
The Orangemen handed in a letter of protest and shortly
afterwards left the hill. Just as quickly, police and army began
dismantling their fortifications in the area.
District spokesman David Jones said they were prepared to take
part in talks through intermediaries with nationalist residents.
He ruled out immediate face-to-face talks but did not discount
the possibility that those could happen in the future.
"As the Parades Commission has clearly stated, while they would
say face-to-face talks are preferable, they are not wholly
necessary," Mr Jones said.
Garvaghy Road residents spokesman Breandan Mac Cionnaith last
night insisted that talks with nationalist residents were still
on offer. However he insisted the Drumcree dispute could only be
resolved when the order enters into direct dialogue with
Garvaghy Road residents.
"The Parades Commission said again last week that the Garvaghy
Road residents are the only group which has offered to go into
direct dialogue without preconditions," he said.
"People should ask why the Portadown Orangemen are now prepared
to lift its ban on speaking to the Parades Commission but still
refuse to talk to nationalist residents.
"The only way this issue can be solved is through face-to-face
dialogue without preconditions.
"The people of Garvaghy Road say they are willing to go into such
dialogue and now it is up to the order to explain what is
stopping it from taking the same step."
Sinn Fein Assembly member John O'Dowd said that while yesterday's
parade had passed-off without incident, nationalist residents had
still faced major disruption due to a heavy security force
presence.
"There are thousands of Orange Order parades each year in the six
counties, a number which is growing year on year," he said.
Mr O'Dowd said that while no one was trying to stop parades the
order had to accept that a number of marches were contentious.
"What we are saying is that it is time the order started
preparing for a future without trying to force unwanted parades
through nationalist areas.
"Dialogue is required to find a resolution to issues around
parades," he said.