Residents protest Springfield Road march
After a night of loyalist attacks on the Springfield Road, the
RUC sealed the area off to allow this year's Twelfth parade
through. The area from Lanark Way to Workman Avenue was littered
with rocks, stones and the broken bottles of a night's attacks.
The RUC members on duty at the time refused to move against the
loyalists, claiming that they were ``in a different division''.
The loyalist parade went through the area on Wednesday morning,
12 July, as residents held a peaceful protest.
The Parades Commission decision to allow the Orange march on the
Springfield Road was described as ``unbelievable'' by Sinn Féin
councillor Tom Hartley. He was speaking after party
representatives met with the Commission last Wednesday, 5 July,
in an attempt to have the decision overturned. The Commission had
ruled earlier that it would allow the Twelfth parade to march
along the Springfield Road, despite objections by residents.
Springfield residents are particularly incensed given that
Orangemen had previously broken every restriction on them made
imposed by the Commission.
On Saturday, 24 June, men wearing UDA uniform and carrying UDA
banners were allowed participate in the Whiterock Parade and
loyalist music was blasted through a tannoy system in a clear
breach of the spirit of the Commission's ruling that music was
not to be played on the Springfield Road.
It has now emerged that all members of the Springfield Residents'
Action Group have been cautioned by the RUC in relation to
disturbances that occurred on the Springfield Road that day.
Some clashes erupted as the RUC, dressed in riot gear, attacked
nationalists. Sinn Féin assembly member Gerry Kelly was hit on
the head by an RUC baton and received hospital treatment.
In a statement Tom Hartley, said: ``It would seem that the purpose
of these cautions is to intimidate anyone who might be inclined
to protest against this decision.''
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