RUC men hurt in violence at Orange parade

Violence flared in Lurgan on Saturday during an Orange Order mini-12th parade through the Co Armagh town. Three RUC officers and a British soldier were injured after they were stoned and petrol-bombed by nationalists.

The trouble erupted as the annual Orange parade passed through the William Street area of Lurgan town centre. The order had observed a Parades Commission ruling that loyalist bands not play while passing down William Street, but this did not assuage the anger of the masked nationalist gangs.

Hundreds of RUC officers and British troops who had sealed off flashpoint areas were attacked by dozens of nationalist youths firing petrol and paint bombs, stones, bottles, golf balls and ball bearings.

Police said up to 30 petrol and paint bombs were thrown. Three plastic baton rounds were fired by the security forces. Three RUC officers and a British soldier were treated for injuries and one man was arrested during the trouble which lasted about an hour.

The SDLP Minister of Agriculture, Ms Brid Rodgers, said that while she regretted the decision of the Parades Commission to allow the march down William Street, nationalists should have accepted the ruling.

Local Sinn Fein MLA Dr Dara O'Hagan said the violence was a consequence of the Parades Commission ruling to allow the parade in a nationalist area. "We informed the Parades Commission that we believed that if this march was allowed to go ahead it would lead to serious violence."

But Mr David Jones, press officer for Portadown Orangemen said the fault lay solely with nationalists and republicans. "Once again it's regrettable even though the Parades Commission made a decision to allow the march through that area, nationalists and republicans decided to vent their anger on the RUC. Again, we can see they have absolutely no intention of living up to the mutual respect principle they are so fond of quoting from the Belfast Agreement."

The Orange Order district master of Lurgan, Mr John Crozier, criticised the Parades Commission for placing restrictions on the playing of music during the parade. "It wouldn't happen anywhere else in the United Kingdom. It shows the undemocratic and restrictive nature of the Parades Commission's remit."

Meanwhile, the Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, called on the Parades Commission to "urgently and immediately review its outrageous decision to allow next Saturday's Orange parade to pass through a nationalist part of the Springfield Road" in west Belfast.

Shots were fired at three houses in Craigavon, Co Armagh in two incidents early yesterday morning. At 2 a.m. a number of shots were fired at a house at Legahory Court in Craigavon. At 4.40 a.m. shots were fired at two other houses in the estate. No one was injured. Police do not believe the attacks to be sectarian.