The Perennial Parading Issue
Orange Lilies bloom—pallets rise towards the sky—anybody with a bit of sense heads off on a foreign holiday. These are the signs that July is upon it. Add to these “givens” the perennial parading issues. It is difficult to imagine a summer here without the same old arguments. And undoubtedly this particular soap opera will run for a few episodes yet. Drumcree now seems like a distant memory—something that we can look at and recall in the archives. Tensions have been high around parading in North Belfast for many years. It seems like only yesterday we were watching Gerry Kell in his Shell Suit rather than his usual attire of Armani suits nowdays. But in reality there are relatively few contentious parades considering the amount of legitimate marches that take place in Northern Ireland within a calendar year. And that is commendable—to residents groups and organisations and individuals involved. The problems around Ardoyne run deeper than the acceptance of a minor part of a larger parade passing along a stretch of road for 100 yards. A small number of people adhering to all the draconian restrictions laid down by the Parades Commission—year after year.
This year the PC in its wisdom laid down the law that the OO accompanied by a band and a limited amount of followers would NOT be permitted to take part in the return journey on the evening of the 12th July. Seemingly this was acceptable to the Greater Ardoyne Residents Committee—a cover name for a dissident controlled body within the Republican powder keg that is present day Ardoyne. So, in reality this “ residents” group who see sectarian marches along “their” stretch of road as totally insulting are only insulted after six o’clock at night. It’s okay for the same people in the same uniforms with the same followers adhering to the same PC rules to walk down “their “road in the morning—but not at night. They are even picking the time of day they wish to be insulted!! Whilst being, personally no great lover of the Orange Institutions, I feel that apart from a few minor misdemeanours in recent years, by and large they have abided by measures as instructed through the inept Parades Commission. Where failings have occurred—St.Patricks and the Famine Song of 2012-the Orange Order can hardly be held to account. In fact much to the dismay of many other Protestants/Loyalists— OO members or not—the acquiescence from that organisation at times have raised the question as to whether they are testicularly challenged. What is seen here in 2013 is that violence pays. Where the GARC and supporters are more than happy to go along with the PC decision this year last year was a completely different story. Before, during and after the minor parade there were disturbances. A battle raged for four hours in the wake of the peaceful law abiding return procession. A battle between Republicans of all hues and the PSNI where petrol bombs, and blast bombs were thrown and shots fired. This behaviour seemed to have worked in light of the puzzling and illogical decision of two days ago. Indeed the day before the PC decision protestors during a white line protest on Crumlin Road carried placards proclaiming-No Parade..No Violence. So the mixed messages –for the Orange Order–emanating from the PC are apparent. Do as you are told or we will punish you. Do as you are told and we will still punish you. This year for the first time the OO engaged orally with the Ardoyne residents—albeit at a late hour—but hardly the fault of the Orange alone. A good sign? On the face of it –yes. But the reality to me is much more clear. If the OO do not engage—and we know they are reluctant because they see most residents groups as tools of the different IRA factions—they will be punished. When they do engage AND toe the line—they are punished. So, why engage? They cannot win.
What has become abundantly apparent in all of these machinations is this—the various residents groups, whoever they are a front for, have an agreed bottom line—NO PARADES. Full stop. The latest attempt at dialogue has proven this once again. The groups are sectarian in nature and intolerant of Protestant/Loyalist culture and identity. Many Protestants/Loyalists feel the need to express their anger and vent their fury at this latest decision from the PC and probably rightly so. But I feel that this is the time for the Orange Institutions to prove to us all that those nasty rumours of emasculation are unfounded.
