NORTHERN IRELAND: LONDONDERRY: PRO BRITISH PARADE TURNS VIOLENT

(10 Aug 1997) English/Nat

A pro-British parade through Northern Ireland's largely Catholic city of Londonderry turned violent on Saturday when a group of bandsmen broke away and attacked nationalist onlookers.

Riot police quickly intervened to separate the two sides following the incident at the end of the annual Apprentice Boys of Derry parade - one of the most tense dates on Northern Ireland's calendar.

Earlier on the event was nearly scuppered by a bomb scare when army bomb disposal experts carried out two controlled explosions on an abandoned van.

This year's Apprentice Boys march around the walls of Londonderry was attended by fewer participants - and fewer nationalist protestors.

Nonetheless, a small crowd gathered, ridiculing those who marched past, some holding Irish tricolour flags.

But the nationalists did not try to block the annual march by the Apprentice Boys, Londonderry' main pro-British fraternal order.

The Apprentice Boys held ceremonial swords and banners proclaiming "no surrender" as they commemorated the Protestants' defence of the city from a besieging Catholic army in 1689.

A Sinn Fein official who attended the nationalists' protest, said although there was anger, there was room for different cultures.

Gerry O'Hara also praised the Bogside Residents' Group, which is an association for those who live in the predominantly Catholic area, for helping to reduce tension.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Well, there's a lot of anger about as you can probably sense, but I think that the Bogside residents took the right course and I think that Derry people - Derry nationalists - have a responsibility to show that there is room in this city for Orange men, for Orange culture and for the Apprentice Boys and that's what we've tried to do. It has been a tense situation, I think the B-R-G has handled it very sensibly."
SUPER CAPTION: Gerry O'Hara, Northern Chairperson, Sinn Fein

A bomb alert threatened to disrupt the march - but failed.

An abandoned van, which had been hijacked 90 minutes before, was abandoned on the lower deck of the Craigavon Bridge across which the parade was due to pass.

Two controlled explosions were carried out on the van by army disposal experts before they declared it a hoax.

More than 10-thousand Apprentice Boys and their bands converged for the march from the centre of Londonderry across the River Foyle into the mainly Protestant east side of the city.

Though the Londonderry march does not go through Catholic housing, the walls overlook the Bogside.

Many nationalist residents and unionists agreed the day was free of the usual tension, with the atmosphere more resembling a pageant than a parade.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Well, it's not the first time this city has taken the first steps for things and I would hope that it would continue to do so. I think that to hear about the bomb put on the bridge this morning just annoys the Protestant population because we have tried to do everything we possibly can. What more can we do to try and tell the people of this city what our heritage is all about."
SUPER CAPTION: Alastair Simpson, Governor, Apprentice Boys

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I've come up round the town - probably the first time in years when they have been marching - and, you know, I'm happy that there's no trouble and everybody seems to be getting on with their lives basically. You know what I mean, I think - I mean I am a nationalist, but I do believe that they should march round the walls and have their day and just leave people be at the end, you know."
SUPER CAPTION: Vox Pop

SOUNDBITE: (English)






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