Drumcree march passes off peacefully

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, JULY 8.Much to all-round relief, the contentious Drumcree march by Protestant Orangemen in Northern Ireland looked headed for a peaceful denouement this afternoon following repeated appeals for restraint by church and community leaders. Even as they protested the ban on the march, which would have passed through the sensitive Catholic Garvaghy Road, their message to their followers was to remain peaceful - a message which, observers said, reflected the growing impatience with sectarian tension.

Members of the Orange Order began their march this morning, and later collected at a steel and concrete barrier erected by troops to prevent them from marching down Garvaghy Road. The heavily Catholic dominated area teemed with soldiers and local police and virtually every possible entry point was blocked with barbed and razor fences. But the mood this year was much calmer than on previous occasions and there was no attempt to defy the ban which Protestants see as a violation of their democratic rights.

Leaders in their speeches condemned the ban saying it was incompatible with the conduct of a `civilised' society. ``If this happened in any other civilised society it would be universally condemned,'' said one speaker. Another senior community leader said the Orangemen would continue to fight for their ``fundamental right'' but do it peacefully. The ban, he said, was a ``defeat for democracy''. The audience - nearly 2,000 Orangemen in their ceremonial costumes - cheered their leaders as they attacked the ban and vowed to fight on for their rights.

Later they gave a letter of protest to the authorities.

This was the fourth year of the ban which, in the past, has led to clashes with security forces besides causing a backlash in other parts of Northern Ireland. Nearly 1600 security men were deployed today to prevent any trouble ahead of the peace talks called by the British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair.

The march is seen by Catholics as a `triumphalist' gesture by Protestants who however maintain that as citizens of the area they have a right to walk along Garvaghy Road on their way back to Portadown after their annual commemoration service at Drumcree Parish Church.

The largely peaceful end to the march was greeted as an encouraging development on the eve of the Mr. Blair's `summit' with his Irish counterpart, Mr. Bertie Ahern, and leaders of major political parties tomorrow. The `summit' - second in recent weeks - has been described as a major initiative by Mr. Blair to break the deadlock over arms decommissioning by IRA.

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Section  : International
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