Nationalist unity averted parades crisis
People power
It was the people power of democratic forces in the Six Counties
which defused the crisis over Orange marches last weekend. Those
forces ensured that the people of the Lower Ormeau Road were not
subjected to the ordeal of those on the Garvaghy Road on 6 July.
It was not the generosity of the Orange Order which produced the
result. It was certainly not the action of the British government
which had rewarded Orange bigotry by forcing the parade down the
Garvaghy Road.
The Orange leadership decided that the `principle' which had to
be upheld at all costs on Garvaghy Road could be abandoned on
Lower Ormeau. The difference? Orangemen were made aware by RUC
Chief Ronnie Flanagan that such was the scale of nationalist
anger that the streets would be filled with people and the
British Army and RUC would be stretched to the limit.
On Wednesday 9 July thousands of people from all over the North
converged on the Garvaghy Road to salute the bravery of this
beleagured community. The following night people were out in
massive numbers again to express solidarity with the people of
the Lower Ormeau. This was just a foretaste of street
mobilisations to come on Friday and Saturday in Belfast, Derry,
Newry, Armagh and other centres if the Orange Order had insisted
on insulting nationalist communities.
The British would not be allowed to brutalise a nationalist
community in the manner in which thousands of RUC and British
soldiers brutalised Garvaghy residents to facilitate an Orange
march.
The next step for the Orange Order after their decision which was
widely welcomed is to open up to real dialogue with residents'
representatives so that the marching issue can be resolved
finally in a democratic way.
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