Clashes feared as protests set for Royal Irish parade
Sunday November 02 2008
Tension remains high in Belfast ahead of today's homecoming parade for the Royal Irish Regiment (RIR) through the centre of the city.
Despite a climbdown by Sinn Fein over the routing of their protest, thousands of loyalists will flood the centre of Belfast before lunchtime to show their support for the 280 Royal Irish soldiers who will parade with other members of the British armed forces.
There are major concerns that dissident republican elements will attempt to disrupt the event with bomb hoaxes, and fears that loyalists and dissident republican supporters will clash on the way to and from the first major military parade of this type in Belfast since just after the Second World War.
The decision of Sinn Fein to redirect its protest route away from the Divis Flats area in the Falls Road where dissident republicans are planning an illegal protest has eased security worries and has been generally been welcomed by unionist politicians.
But there remain significant concerns that the two protests mounted in the Markets area near the city centre and at Divis Flats could spark a confrontation with loyalists travelling from east Belfast to see the military parade.
The decision by the British Army's General Officer Commanding (GOC) in Northern Ireland, Major General Chris Brown, to cancel an RAF flypast and announce that the homecoming RIR troops will parade without weapons was followed by Sinn Fein's announcement that it proposed to alter its route and protest at a less strategic point on the parade route.
Many loyalist paramilitaries, however, still intend to travel into the city to show Sinn Fein their feelings.
One north Belfast loyalist said he was going into the city for the parade, adding that he feared that trouble would erupt. "I'm going with my brother and other members of my family. I'm not going as a paramilitary and that's the way most guys are thinking," he said. "If Sinn Fein hadn't announced they were going to stage a protest, a large number of people on the loyalist side wouldn't be near the city centre, but they've basically thrown down the gauntlet and people are going just to defy Gerry Adams and Alex Maskey."
In east Belfast, thousands are expected to make the short journey across the Albert Bridge and the Queen's Bridge to see the parade. Loyalist sources in the area say large numbers of Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and Ulster Defence Association (UDA) members are planning to go but are not intending to cause any trouble.
"They're going to give their support to the troops but people have been told to stay in the background and not to get involved in any confrontations," one paramilitary source said. "There are a lot of inter-community projects on the go and the organisations don't want to damage those so there is no plan to attack, riot or fight. It's just to say that Gerry Adams can't dictate who can walk in Belfast."
Bandsmen from all parts of the city have been told to give their support to the event but not to cause any trouble.
The organisers of the protests by the dissident republican support groups Eirigi and the 32 County Sovereignty Movement haven't applied for permission to take to the streets, and it is expected that there will be a confrontation with the PSNI when the Eirigi-organised protest at Divis Flats attempts to move towards the city centre.
Eirigi chairman Brian Leeson said: "We do not regard the PSNI as a legitimate police force and we will certainly not be asking their permission for our protest."
- ALAN MURRAY
