Paying for Orange marches

Sir, – Patsy McGarry rightly recalls the enormous human and financial sacrifice resulting from the conflict in Northern Ireland ("Cost of violence at North parades should be borne by organisers", August 18th).

Although we now enjoy an imperfect peace, there is still enormous effort required to reach the levels of mutual respect, stability and tolerance that are the hallmarks of a perfect peace.

Two important steps must be taken promptly.

The authorities, led by the PSNI and the courts, must actively pursue a zero tolerance approach to the many manifestations of racism, sectarianism and sheer hatred that still disfigures Northern Ireland society. Far too many of these so-called hate crimes go unpunished for a variety of reasons. If changes to the law, including increasing police powers, are required get them in place.

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The judiciary must also play its part in imposing seriously deterrent penalties on those convicted.

Yet again, the annual marching season in Northern Ireland has led to extensive civil disorder, with collateral damage to already fragile community relations among its most serious consequences.

The malign involvement of so many young people, born post-troubles, now echoing the traditional hatred, is totally discouraging.

The Parades Commission, despite deep-seated Unionist hostility heavily grounded in misleading propaganda, has proved to be an effective mechanism to regulate the most contentious parades and provide a template for policing them.

Legal enforcement of the terms of its binding determinations has been decidedly patchy and far from satisfactory. The British government must grasp its duty to amend the legislation to remove all the uncertainties and ambiguities that have emerged in the courts.

That legislation should also require the organisers of all parades to put in place a significant financial bond which would be forfeit if any parade failed to observe any restrictions imposed by the Parades Commission or triggered public disorder.

The direct financial consequences to parade organisers, on all sides, ought to provide them with sufficient incentive to directly rein in their unruly elements, a duty that is far too frequently ignored.

I am sure they will cry poverty but their unrestrained antics continue to impoverish the vast majority of tax paying citizens.

– Yours, etc,

CHRIS RYDER

Carryduff,

Belfast.