Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams last night vowed he would play "a leadership
role" in trying to end republican violence.
After another day of street clashes in west and east Belfast, the West Belfast MP insisted republicans had "no truck with sectarianism of any kind or from any source".
In a keynote address at a dinner in Belfast City Hall marking Alex Maskey's election earlier this month as the city's first Sinn Féin mayor, Mr Adams said: "Everyone should have the right to live, to shop, to work, to travel, to be educated or entertained wherever they wish free from sectarian harassment of any kind.
"I want to reiterate again that Irish republicans are absolutely and firmly committed to the peace process.
"I want to assure unionists that the republican promotion of the equality and justice and human rights agenda is about securing the entitlements of every citizen and of building a strong and open democracy in which we can all promote and articulate our differing goals peacefully and democratically.
Mr Adams said that quality should threaten no-one. "Republicans and nationalists will never ever again accept the status of second class citizens but neither will we ever impose second-class citizenship upon anyone else.
"I want to repeat again tonight what I said last July in London that I am totally committed to playing a leadership role in bringing a permanent end to political conflict on our island including the end of physical force republicanism."
The Sinn Féin leader insisted the ending of "physical force republicanism" involved a collective effort. "Building confidence and trust is a two way street. We are now individually and together going through a great period of change in our society. Tonight's event is part of that," he said.
Mr Adams added there is no real alternative to change and progress. "So in committing ourselves to promoting that change in as constructive a way as possible let us also be vigilant and mindful of the efforts of those who want to destroy this process," he said.
Mr Adams paid tribute to his Sinn Féin colleague, claiming Mr Maksey would be an "exemplary First Citizen" of Belfast.
"He has also demonstrated in the few short weeks that he has held the post of Mayor that he is prepared to take risks, to reach out to political opponents and enemies and to show by deed as well as word that he genuinely and sincerely wants to be Mayor for all of the people of Belfast," the Sinn Féin president said.
"Nowhere is this more evident and nowhere has Alex's personal courage and integrity been more clear than in his decision to lay a floral tribute on Monday at the Cenotaph for those who died at the Somme in the First World War and for all their families."
PA