Nationalists refuse to back down over parade

THE Bogside Residents Group (BRG) has given an assurance that nationalists will not confront the RUC or loyalists during tonight's nationalist parade in the city or at tomorrow's Apprentice Boys march.

The BRG has refused to cancel the march, despite suggestions from the Catholic and Protestant bishops of Derry, Dr Seamus Hegarty and Dr James Mehaffey, and a former SDLP mayor of the city, Mr John Kerr, that such a move would defuse tensions.

Last night there were warnings at a meeting organised by the BRG that the march could intimidate Protestants living in the Fountain on the west bank of the city.

The majority of speakers at the meeting supported tonight's march but there was a small but significant number who insisted that the march would be viewed by Protestants as being deliberately provocative.

The Apprentice Boys, meanwhile, have yet to disclose whether they will seek to march along the restricted stretch of Derry's walls tomorrow, possibly triggering a Drumcree type standoff.

Mr Gregory Campbell, a DUP Derry councillor - who with senior Apprentice Boys' representatives and unionist politicians met the Northern Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, yesterday - said the Apprentice Boys had a number of options. But details of its plans would not be revealed until tomorrow, he said. Mr Campbell added that Sir Patrick agreed at yesterday's meeting that the order blocking off part of the walls was unjust.

There was no breakthrough during the meeting. According to Mr Campbell, Sir Patrick told the loyalist delegation which also included the unionist mayor of Derry, Mr Richard Dallas, and the governor of the Apprentice Boys, Mr Alistair Simpson - that he had to act pragmatically in order to prevent public disorder.

Despite a number of appeals for the BRG to cancel tonight's five pronged nationalist parade into Derry city centre, Mr Donncha Mac Niallais, its main spokesman, said the march will go ahead.

In addition, those attending the march are being asked to reassemble in the Bogside tomorrow during the height of the Apprentice Boys parade. The purpose of tomorrow's rally at Free Derry Corner is to allow BRG monitors report to nationalists what was developing at the Apprentice Boys parade, he added.

Mr Mac Niallais, speaking against the backdrop of a banner declaring, "No Consent, No Parade", denied that the march and tomorrow's rally was a deliberate act of provocation designed to antagonise loyalists.

Mr Mac Niallais said the march and tomorrow's rally would, in fact, help ease tension. "We will be going out of our way to ensure that tension is defused," he added. It would "have been a recipe for disaster" not to have arranged such parades.

Not to have done so could have led to young nationalists engaging in confrontation with loyalists, he said. "We want to provide leadership for the people. We don't want a situation where there is confrontation."

Tonight's march will pass the Protestant Fountain estate on Derry's west bank, where the walls are located, raising concern of possible trouble between nationalists and loyalists and the police.

Mr Mac Niallais gave an assurance that the BRG would be able to exercise sufficient discipline to ensure that none of its members or supporters would engage in confrontation, either tonight or tomorrow.

He denied that the BRG was being hypocritical in demanding consent from Apprentice Boys for its marches, while refusing to seek the consent of Fountain residents for tonight's march. Mr Mac Niallais said he would seek a meeting with Church of Ireland bishop, Dr Mehaffey, and representatives of the Fountain to hear their concerns.

This could possibly result in the parade being cancelled, he said. But, as of last night, tonight's nationalist parade is going ahead, Mr Mac Niallais added.