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July 15, 2009: it was the second night of riots after a Orange Order march was forced through Ardoyne on Monday July 13. The interview with Gerry Kelly, who is one of Sinn Fein's representatives in Ardoyne and who is probably the most highly respected politician in this area, was conducted after the first night of riots. "Orange Order are the only organisation in terms of the peace process ... who have not done something for the process." 15.7.2009 | Interview with Gerry Kelly (Sinn Féin) from Ardoyne
The Orange Order are the only organisation in terms of the peace process and the political process who have
not come up to the mark who have not done something for the process. If they wanted to do something for the
process, ... they would not be forcing what are frankly anti-catholic marches through this area.
Having said this, this evening a number of groups, involving I think Eirigi, the Real IRA or whatever
they may call themselves and some other splinter organisations set people over here with the sole aim
to cause riots, to bring this further down into sectarianism, they had no concern for the people of
this area or their safety. There was a rifle found this morning by children, which I assume was gone
to be used. Let us think back, anyone who is old enough, the last time that anyone used a rifle or
any weapon during a riot here was the early seventies, because the reaction to it is that people will
end up dead. That's the type of attitude which has been brought here. A lot of these people, the vast
majority of these people did not come from this area and have nothing here to offer, except grieve to
the people of this area.
Gerry, as I was standing up there, just moments ago, a policeman turned to me and shouted, Ron, there
is a man with a gun. What is your reaction to that kind of protest?
Oh, my reaction is simple. People in this area applied for a peaceful protest. They don't like the fact
that Orange parades going up here but they wanted to protest in a peaceful way. People have come in from
outside the area belonging to very small micro groups and are trying to cause trouble. To have a gun in
a riot situation is tantamount to complete madness. To use a gun or to use any weapon in those circumstances
will only cause innocent people to be killed. And anybody with any sense who knows anything about conflict
will know that.
Are you saying, Gerry Kelly, that Sinn Fein had no influence ... to prevent what happened?
We had the influence ..., we were with the residents and we had a substantial number of stewards. What
did the residents achieve? They had a peaceful protest, for the parading down this morning and up in the
evening. That's what our influence was. That's what happened.
We can't help other people coming in and trying to sectarianize the whole situation around North Belfast yet
again. I'm absolutely against Orange parades going through this area, but I'm also against small micro
groups, who will go away tonight, because they don't live here, they will go away and sleep in their beds
and it will be the people here who have to worry about the aftermath of what they are trying to do in
this moment of time here.
Source:
video of the interview, BBC, July 14, 2009 read more >> Interview slightly shortened.
Photo:
Gerry Kelly in front of the Ardoyne shops.