Garvaghy welcomes support
The Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition (GRRC) has voted to end its
opposition to nationalists from outside Portadown joining the
protest against the annual Drumcree Orange march in July.
The previous decision to keep the protest local, in an attempt to
decrease local tensions, was called into question following last
year's decision to force the Orange march down the Garvaghy Road
against the local residents wishes and without dialogue. The
resulting scenes of nationalists being beaten off the road were
beamed around the world.
Following a packed local residents meeting on 5 May where 82% of
residents backed the move, support is set to flood in from across
Ireland, from America and from human rights organisations across
Europe.
The GRRC said the change in tactics was due to the RUC ``coming
into the area at the dead of night and beating people off the
street''. Despite the move, the GRRC has pledged to continue with
its attempts to open dialogue with the Orange Order.
GRRC spokesperson, Brendan MacCionnaith, has criticised the
Orange Order over its planned No rally in the area on Thursday,
the eve of the referendum. He said, ``they are clearly showing
they are not a civil and religious but a political organisation
by identifying themselves with the No camp.''
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