Correspondence from LOCC and GRRC on Parades (Roseau and Garvaghy Road)
admin | Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 | No Comments »The LOCC and GRRC have made submission on Public Assemblies, Parades, and Protests Bill 2010. They disagree with some portions of the agreement between the DUP and Sinn Fein. They have not always supported the Parades Commission but they are unsure of the new parades body and it’s rules will work.
These are really the people on the ground. Many members of the AOH have visited Garvaghy Road and visited with Breandan MacCionnaith. We have personally been on Garvaghy Road during the stand off after the Garvaghy Road March and on Ormeau Road as they prepared for the RUC baton charge and we never want to see the return of these times.
The article points out that there are a total of 3,801 events that seek permission to parade.
Of these 2,483 are requests from the Orange Order, Apprentice Boys, etc., that is 65% of all events (some are car shows etc.).
111 are requests from Nationalist Community to March, this would include the AOH Board of Erin Parades
Of these 2,371 are proceeded unhindered and are automatically approved.
Leaving 221 classified as contentious and the imposition of restrictions on 163 – with 51 applications for the Garvaghy Road March (each week)
That leaves a total of 112 parades with restrictions
Many have simply followed the restrictions but others cause protests from the local Nationalist Community, most protests are peaceful but a very small portion, single digits, turn violent. As usual media loves the violence and that is what is driving the news coverage at the moment.
I have attached the full report, it is 20+ pages, an argument against the changes created from the Hillsborough Agreement.
The most important thing is that we need to reduce or eliminate violence, continue to restrict OO Marches, let the residents groups know that we support them, and work for peaceful resolutions.
The United Ireland Resolutions are crucial in this regard. Please work on them until the legislatures come back in December.
