In the face of strong criticism from loyalist, unionist, Alliance and SDLP politicians, Mr Gerry Adams has rejected allegations that Sinn Fein sought to hijack yesterday's ICTU-organised peace rally in Belfast.
Several thousand people attended peace rallies throughout Northern Ireland yesterday calling for an end to the recent wave of sectarian killings. However, the events were overshadowed by controversy over allegations that Sinn Fein tried to exploit the main demonstration in Belfast.
The rally was marked by dissension and recrimination after several hundred nationalists from west Belfast and other nationalist areas of the city converged on the City Hall displaying banners accusing unionists and loyalists of being responsible for recent sectarian killings of Catholics.
Unionist and loyalist politicians attending yesterday's demonstration took offence at banners proclaiming, "Stop Unionist Death Squads", "End Unionist Killings Now", and "British Army - RUC - Loyalist Death Squads".
Those displaying the banners refused to heed appeals from the ICTU organisers to put them down, which prompted the Ulster Unionist Party deputy mayor of Belfast, Mr Jim Rodgers, and Progressive Unionist Party politicians, Mr Billy Hutchinson and Mr David Ervine, to withdraw from the rally. This was followed by a confrontation outside the City Hall between Mr Hutchinson and the Sinn Fein president, who had arrived slightly late for the rally.
Mr Hutchinson, angrily address sing Mr Adams, said: "Those banners were an insult. We see it as Sinn Fein, with its republican agenda, as dancing on innocent Catholic graves . . . We were there to commemorate the innocent Catholics who were killed."
Mr Hutchinson refused to engage in more detailed conversation with Mr Adams who later issued a statement accusing the PUP politician of "theatrics". "It was a good thing that he and his colleagues attended the rally, but it was entirely negative for them to lose their nerve and withdraw," said Mr Adams. A Sinn Fein councillor, Mr Tom Hartley, accused the organisers of "failing to appreciate the depth of hurt within the nationalist community".
The Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, was briefly seen at the rally, but quickly left the scene. A Northern Ireland Office spokesman said this was because she was late for an engagement and not because she wanted to get away from the developing controversy.
Ms Liz Groves, on behalf of the nationalist community representatives, defended the banners. "Our community is pointing the finger at those unionist politicians who have been cheerleaders for loyalist violence," she said.
Meanwhile, as people in Derry commemorate Bloody Sunday, the UUP leader, Mr David Trim ble, has formally written to the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, calling for the creation of a tribunal to examine the events surrounding the Arms Crisis.
Gardai in Monaghan said a Protestant minister received a death threat from a group calling itself the Catholic Action Force.
Last night a Monaghan Sinn Fein urban district councillor, Mr Owen Smith, said it was "either the work of a crank or more likely coming from loyalist sources to wind up sectarian tension in an area where it does not exist".
Inquiry faces appalling vista of army culpability: page 8; Tempers flare as unionists accuse SF of hi- jacking Belfast peace rally: page 9
