UK: N.IRELAND: DRUMCREE: ORANGEMEN MARCH LATEST

(8 Jul 2000) English/Nat
XFA
Orange Order members on Saturday seemed determined to press ahead with plans to march down the nationalist Garvaghy Road in Drumcree on Sunday, despite the continued ban imposed by the Northern Ireland Parades Commission.

The military have been preparing for Sunday's parade, surveying the area around Drumcree Parish Church.

They continued to place barriers at two points along the route where the Orangemen will pass nationalist areas.

The security forces in Northern Ireland are braced for fresh violence in the run-up to Sunday's big parade.

The army has strengthened defences in anticipation of serious trouble and the security build-up to Sunday's parade which starts at Portadown and goes to Drumcree.

Officers were surveying the fields around the road and church where minor skirmishes erupted during last week's parade.

The Loyalists want to march through the nationalist Garvaghy Road area on Sunday to celebrate a victory over the Catholics which dates back centuries.

For the third time the Northern Ireland's Parades Commission has banned the marchers from taking this part of the route over fears that violence would erupt.

Orangemen are still adamant they have the right to march the Queen's Highway and few condemn the violence.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"They have walked that road for a hundred and twenty-odd years, a hundred and three years. Why shouldn't they be allowed to walk it. This is the Queen's highway it doesn't belong to anyone. It belongs to the people. This is the Queen's highway."
SUPERCAPTION: Voxpop

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Obviously people are scared, but I think they've got used to it now."
SUPERCAPTION: Voxpop

The violence which has surrounded the week-long Drumcree protest has left 37 police officers and two soldiers injured.

Most shops in Portadown closed early for fear the street fighting would start again.

The Orange Order shop in Portadown was one of the few open on Friday night.

Stephen Miller, who runs the shop, says he won't be condemning any violence and says he'll be taking same stance as the Republicans.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I'll not condemn violence. Gerry Adams doesn't so we won't."
SUPERCAPTION: Stephen Miller, shopkeeper

On Friday the Portadown Orange Order district master, Harold Gracey, also refused to condemn the violence.

But the Church of Ireland primate, Archbishop Robin Eames, urged the Orange Order local leaders to try and stop the violence by coming out and unequivocally condemning it.

He said paramilitary involvement at Drumcree had "removed any integrity the protest may have had".

Garvaghy residents have hung Republican banners along the road, but many residents want to see an end to the Drumcree problems.

SOUNDBITE (English)
"Between loyalist and Republicans it is a power struggle. I think there is no doubt about that. But it's time it was ended, I think. The people have just had enough of it."
SUPERCAPTION: Garvaghy road resident

Brendan McKenna of the Garvaghy Road Residents Association has been relieved by the Parade Commission's decision early last week.

He maintains that the best solution is open dialogue from the Orangemen.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Before any sense of a march can take place there must be substantive and prolonged and genuine dialogue. That has been our position all along that the Orange Order should be sitting down here and should be talking to the residents of this area, discussing the issues, trying to come to a resolution, because there should be no predetermined outcome."


SOUNDBITE: (English)


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