Orangeism is not just an Institution, it is
a nerve that runs right through the heart of the Protestant
community, Orange Order Assistant Grand Master Bro. the Rev.
Stephen Dickinson said at Ballymena.
Brother Dickinson said that all over Northern
Ireland, thousands upon thousands of people will line the
roads and streets because they love to see the Orange Order
on the march.
"They love the sound of the bands, they
love the display, they love to watch the row upon row of Orangemen
and women marching in a public display and celebration of
their Protestant faith and heritage.
"Marching has become an even greater focus
of attention in recent years because republicans have decided
that, having spent 35 years slaughtering members of the Protestant
community with the gun and the bomb, they have now moved into
the next phase of the plan to break Protestant resistance
so as they can achieve their end goal - the destruction of
Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom.
"In order to break the Protestant resistance,
they have targeted and attacked the public display of Protestantism
through the Orange Order in particular!
"Sinn fein/IRA know very well that Orangeism
is at the heart of Protestantism and if they can break us,
if they can stop the heartbeat of Orangeism, then they will
be free to achieve their devilish plan.
"As they attempt to stop the heartbeat
of Orangeism, our parades have come under sustained attack
- that's why residents' groups are springing up all over the
place; that's why there is a huge increase in the number of
our parades that have become contentious right across the
Province, and brethren and friends, it will get worse as Sinn
Fein/IRA attempt to tighten their noose around the neck of
the Orange Order, as they seek to choke it to death.
"Republicans are on a mission - to stop
the marching feet of Orangemen. That's why they say there
will never by Orange feet on the Garvaghy Road again, or in
Dunloy, Bellaghy, Lurgan, Londonderry, Ardoyne, Ligoniel and
many other places.
"The Dunloy brethren deserve our appreciation
and gratitude as they have had the courage to take the denial
of their human rights to court and seek to re-establish their
civil and religious liberties and claim their right to peaceful
assembly under Article 11 of the European Convention of Human
Rights.
"It is great when the Orange Order goes
on the march, but what we want to think about is this - what
happens when God goes on the march?" he said.
|
