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Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland
  Press Statements

Just Whose Tune Is The PSNI Dancing To?

29 October 2004

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."

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