Actor Susan Sarandon and musician Noel Gallagher are among dozens of high-profile artists who have signed an open letter to Britain’s secretary of state for Northern Ireland, Chris Bryant, calling for an independent mediator to be appointed to help to resolve the Drumcree dispute.
Jim Sheridan, Kneecap, Siobhán McSweeney, Paul Weller, Ken Loach, Adrian Dunbar and Imelda May are also among the almost 50 signatories.
The letter, written in support of the Garvaghy Road residents, argued that an international mediator “offers a viable path forward”.
“Such an appointment would lower the political temperature, restore public confidence in the mediation framework, and protect the wider peace process from staring into an avoidable abyss,” the letter said.
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The 10-day impasse has been ongoing since the Parades Commission gave the green light for the first time in almost 30 years for the Portadown District of the unionist Orange Order to complete its traditional route along the Garvaghy Road.
Marches in Drumcree in the 1990s were often linked to violence, with 21 deaths related to the stand-off.
A coalition of residents in the largely nationalist Garvaghy Road area is taking legal action to prevent the parade from taking place this year. A ruling was reserved by the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal on Monday.
Bryant chaired talks with both sides last week that were unsuccessful in reaching an agreement.
A spokeswoman confirmed that the Northern Ireland Office received a copy of the letter on Tuesday afternoon. She said Bryant remains open to engaging in further talks to resolve the matter.
“Following the breakdown of recent talks at Hillsborough Castle, it has become increasingly evident that local mechanisms have exhausted their current utility and that a fresh, independent framework is required to prevent a deeper crisis,” the letter said.
“Therefore, we respectfully urge you to work in tandem with the Irish Government to appoint an independent international mediator from outside Ireland and Britain to facilitate a robust, durable resolution.”
Other signatories of the letter include Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh, singer Frances Black, Paul Simonon of The Clash, Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja, Johnny Marr of The Smiths, Dexys Midnight Runners singer Kevin Rowland and Madness frontman Suggs.
The letter said the “current stand-off serves as a stark reminder of the fragile nature of our shared peace”.
“We must collectively reflect on the extraordinary legacy of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which established the foundational principles of mutual respect, dialogue, and cross-community parity of esteem.
“Over the last twenty-eight years, the hard-won peace in Northern Ireland has allowed an entire generation to grow up free from the anguish and violence of the past. To allow old wounds to be aggressively reopened risks destabilising community relations not only in Portadown but across society in the North.”
The letter added that the local community must be protected in any resolution.
“The residents of the Garvaghy Road endured years of profound trauma, fear and disruption during the height of the parading conflicts in the 1990s.
“After nearly three decades of hard-earned calm, it is entirely unacceptable that this community should face a return to that anxiety.
“It is paramount that the residents be robustly protected from any form of forced processions that disregard their consent, safety, and right to live in peace, free from intimidation.”
