TENSION remains high in Derry for today's Apprentice Boys parade and nationalist counter rally, despite yesterday nationalist parade having passed off relatively peacefully.
There were no face to face confrontations between nationalists and Apprentice Boys during the nationalist demonstration. One attempt by Protestant residents to confront nationalist marchers was contained by the RUC.
As the Apprentice Boys staged their ritual eve of parade bonfire in the Protestant Fountain Estate last night, people living in the city and in other flash points around the North were still bracing themselves for trouble today.
Political and church leaders appealed for calm and restraint over the weekend which, in addition to loyalist marches around the North, will also witness a major nationalist march and rally in Belfast city centre tomorrow marking the 25th anniversary of the introduction of internment.
In Newtownbutler Co Fermanagh, nationalist residents and loyalist marchers failed to reach a compromise last night, leading to renewed fears of clashes in the Border village later today. The situation in Derry was eased to a significant degree by a decision of the Bogside Residents' Group (BRG) to reroute yesterday evening's parade away from The Diamond in the city centre. This was a serious flashpoint, as it is close to the Fountain Estate and the Apprentice Boys Memorial Hall, where members of the order were last night holding their annual ball.
Over 2,000 nationalists from five areas of the city, including Gobnascale on the predominantly Protestant Waterside area, marched to the city centre. Instead of converging on The Diamond, they gathered by the more neutral Guildhall.
When the Gobnascale parade was passing the Fountain area, Protestant residents, led by a loyalist band, tried to confront the marchers. However, they were confined to the Fountain area by the RUC, which maintained a moderate security presence during the demonstrations.
The BRG earlier yesterday agreed to the rerouting following interventions by, among others, Mr Gerry Adams and Mr Martin McGuinness, of Sinn Fein, the SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, and the Protestant and Catholic Bishops of Derry, Dr James Mehaffey and Dr Seamus Hegarty.
The Bogside group further stated that if the Apprentice Boys rerouted their "feeder" parades in Dunloy, Co Antrim, and Bellaghy, Co Derry, this morning, they would cancel today's nationalist rally at Free Derry Corner, which is due to take place at 2 p.m.
While many unionist politicians were cynical of the BRG's decision to reroute yesterday evening's parade, the governor of the Apprentice Boys, Mr Alistair Simpson, reacted positively. I think this will take some of the tension out of the Apprentice Boys march", he said.
Mr Simpson said, however, that he was not in a position to reroute the feeder parades in Dunloy and Bellaghy, where there could he confrontation. These are scheduled to take place early this morning in the two mainly nationalist towns, after which the Apprentice Boys travel to Derry for the main parade.
The Government yesterday welcomed the BRG decision to reroute yesterday evening's parade. "We would hope all those engaged in marches or demonstrations over the weekend will exercise the maximum restraint and show respect for the views of others", a spokesman said.
It is expected that about 15,000 Apprentice Boys and their supporters will be in Derry today. They will march around the city centre while some thousands of nationalists will be assembling a few hundred yards away in the Bogside.
The BRG spokesman, Mr Donncha Mac Niallais, and Mr Martin McGuinness made strong appeals at yesterday evening's rally for nationalists, particularly young people, to act responsibly. They pledged that there would be no confrontation between the two sides today. We will be working to do all we can to keep temperatures down. Don't allow anyone to bring shame on this community by mindless attacks on the Protestant community. We are bigger and better than them", said Mr Mac Niallais.
The Apprentice Boys have yet to reveal whether they will stage a Drumcree type stand off on the walls of Derry when they are prevented from marching along the stretch of the walls overlooking the Bogside.
The tension and uncertainty has prompted many Catholic and Protestant families to leave the city this weekend.
. British army bomb disposal experts carried out a controlled explosion on a suspect device on the Foyle Road near the Craigavon Bridge in Derry at 11 p.m. last night. The RUC in the city said that the device was not a bomb.
