Republicans in East Belfast have been accused of deliberately
trying to raise tensions over a forthcoming Orange Order parade
to provide an excuse for street violence and divert attention
away from continuing IRA breaches of the Good Friday Agreement.
Saturday's (28 February) parade by members of Ballymacarrett
Orange District is being held in remembrance of former members
Frederick Starrett and James Cummings who were killed by the
IRA in 1988 while serving with the Ulster Defence Regiment.
But the parade organisers have accused opponents of using
local newspapers to try and link the event to the deaths of
two loyalist paramilitaries who were blown up by their own
bomb 27 years ago.
"Our parade honours the memory of two courageous UDR
soldiers who were murdered by terrorists," said a District
spokesman. "Recent press reports and republican comments
linking the parade with loyalist paramilitaries are part of
a cynical propaganda campaign designed to pave the way for
violence against our members and divert attention away from
abductions and other such activity in which the IRA is still
involved on a daily basis."
The District spokesman continued: "Last weekend a local
newspaper carried a story headlined 'Parade Fears'. There's
no reason for anyone to fear anything about this parade. We
simply want to celebrate our Orange culture and commemorate
our dead in a peaceful and dignified manner. We call on the
PSNI to ensure our members are allowed to parade in safety
and we urge the Protestant community of East Belfast not to
respond to any attempts by Sinn Fein/IRA to use violence to
try and revive their bankrupt political agenda."
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