N. IRELAND: PROTESTANT ANGER GRIPS STREETS OF BELFAST

Описание: (7 Jul 1998) English/Nat

Protestant anger and violence gripped the streets of Northern Ireland on Monday evening after a controversial decision not to let the Orange Order march through a Catholic neighbourhood.

Heavily armed riot police are on full alert after angry Protestants lit spot fires and burnt cars - there were reports of police coming under gunfire in Northern Belfast.

In a more peaceful protest, about 1-thousand Orangemen gathered for a vigil outside the home of Northern Ireland Secretary, Mo Mowlam.

For the second night running, Protestant fury has gripped the streets of Northern Ireland.

Spot fires littered the streets of Belfast as heavily armed riot police and locals watched on in horror.

Protestors torched hijacked cars and used them as road barricades as heavily armed riot police moved in.

By 8pm all public transport suspended their services and motorists cleared the streets, in fear of being attacked.

At one stage there were running street battles between warring Protestants and Catholics in adjoining neighbourhoods who bombarded each other with bricks, bottles, makeshift grenades and other ammunition.

There were even reports of police coming under gunfire in Northern Belfast.

The latest violence was sparked by the controversial decision to ban Protestant Orangemen from marching through a Catholic neighbourhood in Portadown, 50 kilometers (30 miles) Southwest of Belfast.

Protestants say they are determined to overturn the ban on Sunday's march.

Portadown is the rural heartland of the Orange Order, a Protestant fraternal organization.

The Northern Ireland Parades Commission tried to quell Protestant anger by allowing Orangemen taking part in a smaller march to pass through the hostile Catholic neighbourhood of Lower Ormeau in Belfast.

But it seems to have had little effect.

The latest violence has destroyed much of the optimism which surrounded the signing of an historic peace deal in April, and the first elections for the Northern Ireland assembly last week.

Outside the streets of Belfast there was a militant but more peaceful protest, this timed aimed at politicians.

About 1-thousand Orangemen and their supporters poured into Hillsborough, one of Northern's Ireland's prettiest villages.

They gathered outside Hillsborough Castle, the official residence of Northern Ireland Secretary, Mo Mowlam and have vowed to maintain a round the clock vigil and protest.

They say they will stay there until the Orangemen in Portadown, Co Armagh, complete their parade through the nationalist Garvaghy Road.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Tonight very significantly we have demonstrated that on 24 hours notice we can call three, four thousand men here, probably about a quarter of the County Down contingent, but we did it on a deliberate number count, and they've come and responded, not knowing what's going to happen and we've said to them 'Brethren be peaceful and listen to us.' Tonight we have established just here the 'Hillsborough Freedom Camp,' in front of the Secretary of State's (Mo Mowlam) official residence. When she gets up in the morning she'll see it, when she gets home at night she'll see it and until such time that she relents on the atrocious treatment she is dishing out to the brethren of Portadown that vigil will be kept outside her residence."
SUPER CAPTION: David McNarry, Grand Orange Lodge

Unlike the protests in Belfast, this one in Hillsborough has so far, remained peaceful.

As yet, Mowlam has not responded to the demands of the protesters.

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