The Orange Order today accused the Chief Constable of worrying
more about traditional band tunes than the recent spate of
burglary and kidnapping contributing to the rising crime figures
in the Province.
Commenting on the PSNI decision to interview senior Orangemen
in Belfast about the conduct of Orange parades in June and
July, a spokesman for the order said "We suggest Hugh
Orde and his officers get on with the job for which we pay
them and stop dancing to the tune of the Parades Commission".
The Belfast Orangemen say that, among other matters, they
were questioned about bands playing "The Sash".
Robert Saulters, Grand Master of the Orange Order, described
this as "outrageous. I can only assume that the police
were operating under the mistaken impression that The Sash
is somehow 'sectarian'. Being an Englishman, Hugh Orde wouldn't
know much about local songs so I have taken the opportunity
of sending him a copy of the words of The Sash taken from
a collection of traditional Irish folk songs published in
Dublin. I defy him to find anything sectarian in the words
of the song".
The Grand Master added that he was particularly concerned
that police time was being wasted on such trivial matters,
given the incidents of kidnapping and other violent crimes
in recent weeks.
"What particularly angers Orangemen is that the police
have admitted that they are acting, not on a complaint from
a member of the public, but on the orders of the Parades Commission.
This is part of a vindictive, politically-motivated and sectarian
vendetta against the Orange Order by a unelected quango still
smarting at making a complete pig's ear of their attempts
to control parading in the Province this summer.
"Given that they made only one arrest following the
serious republican rioting in the Ardoyne on July 12th, this
latest move by the PSNI, acting as lackeys for Sir Tony Holland,
proves that Northern Ireland is no longer a fair and equal
society for Protestants."
|
