NORTHERN IRELAND: ORANGEMEN STAGE MARCH IN BELFAST

(12 Jul 1996) English/Nat

After days of tension, Protestant Orangemen have staged a march through a majority Catholic neighbourhood in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The annual march, which commemorates the Protestant anniversary of William of Orange's victory over the Catholics over three hundred years ago, was met by noisy demonstrations but otherwise passed off without incident.

The parade came after four nights of the worst Protestant and Catholic rioting in a decade when police first blocked then allowed the series of Protestant marches to go ahead.

High tension on the streets of Belfast on Northern Ireland's most divisive holiday - the "Twelfth".

Police in riot gear backed up by squads of armoured cars moved into place early on the Lower Ormeau Road Friday morning, a Catholic pocket in Protestant south Belfast.

Overnight three policemen had been shot and wounded in attacks in Catholic areas of the city.

The planned parade through the road by the Orange Order was seen by the area's Catholic residents as extreme provocation and after days of rioting the security forces were not taking any chances.

Catholic protestors holding placards were kept well back as the march got underway.

The Orange Order march marks the 306th anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne in which the Protestant William of Orange beat Catholic King James II in Northern Ireland.

Holding their standards and dressed in their traditional colours the drummers and pipers played as nationalist residents watched from windows, taunting the marchers.

Gerry Adams, the President of the Irish Republican party Sinn Fein could only look on, pinned back by riot police.

Orange fife-and-drum bands cranked up the volume as they reached the Catholic turf. Banners expressed their disapproval of the marchers.

People living in the surrounding streets were prevented from getting near the scene of the parade by the security forces, on high alert after three policemen were shot and wounded in Catholic neighbourhoods in north Belfast early Friday.

Following the march Adams said the security cordon should be lifted.

SOUNDBITE:
"The Orange Parade should have been rerouted. Now that the parade has left this military ring should be removed."
SUPER CAPTION: Gerry Adams, President Sinn Fein

The Sinn Fein president appealed for politicians not to lose sight of the peace process.

SOUNDBITE:
"The focus for everyone and responsible political leaderships should be to get the next number of days over us. All I can do is speak for Sinn Fein. Our commitment remains absolute but making peace is a two-way street. You cannot expect to bring about the type of conditions that are required if instead of demilitarisation we have the militarisation of the situation."
SUPER CAPTION: Gerry Adams, President Sinn Fein

An estimated 80-thousand members of the Orange Order plan to stage marches across the Province throughout the rest of the day.

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