THE PARADES Commission has called for all sides involved in tonight’s loyalist bands parade and nationalist protest in Rasharkin, Co Antrim, to work to ensure the event passes off peacefully.
Tensions in Rasharkin were exacerbated by another sectarian attack on the Orange hall on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning – the third attack on the hall in the past two weeks.
A heavy security presence is expected in the village tonight for the parade, which is hosted by the local Ballymaconnelly Flute Band. In total it will involve 41 loyalist bands and some 1,200 loyalist band members, with some 800 supporters lining the road to view the parade.
Local nationalists complained that such a parade should not be allowed in a village of about 1,000 people, 80 per cent of whom are nationalist. The commission has permitted the parade with some restrictions, particularly that there must be no loyalist paramilitary displays.
The parade has been held in the village for years, although in recent times there has been growing local nationalist opposition to the event. A total of 130 nationalists have been permitted to hold a protest against the parade tonight. Local Sinn Féin Assembly member Daithí McKay has complained that the commission, by allowing the parade, was, in effect, allowing “UVF/UDA participation” in the event. He said the pressure was now on local leaders and the community to try to ensure the parade concluded peacefully.
The new head of the commission, Rena Shepherd, said there were “serious tensions” over the parade and she urged everyone to do everything in their power to ensure a peaceful night.
“Our decision represents our best efforts to strike a balance between the rights of residents and the rights of those who wish to parade. As in other areas, we only became involved in Rasharkin because there was no local agreement,” she said.
Local SDLP MLA Declan O’Loan also called on people in Rasharkin to ensure a peaceful night. He expressed concern about the latest attack on the Orange hall.
He said that “several loyalist bands have published material inciting sectarian hatred and expressing their support for paramilitary groups on social networking sites and on their web pages”. “Bands that publish this type of material should not be free to march in parades anywhere in the North,” he said.
Local DUP MLA Mervyn Storey said anyone intent on causing trouble should stay away. He said the “local unionist residents and members of Ballymaconnelly band have been subjected to more than enough sectarian abuse and intimidation to last a lifetime”.
