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| Orange Order kick off marching season in Northern Ireland peacefully | |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Thousands of Orangemen and their supporters are on the march across Northern Ireland, with the most controversial parade in north Belfast passing off peacefully. | Thousands of Orangemen and their supporters are on the march across Northern Ireland, with the most controversial parade in north Belfast passing off peacefully. |
| On Monday, a loyalist band did breach a ruling from the Parades Commission – the body that adjudicates on contentious marches in the region – that no music be played outside a Catholic church in central Belfast, which Prince Charles visited during his tour of Ireland. | |
| The Finaghy True Blues loyalist marching band played the hymn How Great Thou Art even though all bands were ordered to parade past StPatrick’s chapel in Donegall Street to the beat of a single drum. | The Finaghy True Blues loyalist marching band played the hymn How Great Thou Art even though all bands were ordered to parade past StPatrick’s chapel in Donegall Street to the beat of a single drum. |
| In north Belfast, heavily armoured police officers held back two republican demonstrations against Orange Order members and two loyalist bands outside the Ardoyne shops. | In north Belfast, heavily armoured police officers held back two republican demonstrations against Orange Order members and two loyalist bands outside the Ardoyne shops. |
| One of the protest groups, the Greater Ardoyne Residents Coalition, sounded klaxons and booed as loyalists filed past along the Crumlin Road. The return parade after the main Orange demonstration in the city is banned from going back via the same route. | One of the protest groups, the Greater Ardoyne Residents Coalition, sounded klaxons and booed as loyalists filed past along the Crumlin Road. The return parade after the main Orange demonstration in the city is banned from going back via the same route. |
| Northern Ireland’s chief constable has said violence is not inevitable as the Ulster loyalist marching season reaches its climax. George Hamilton turned up at the most dangerous flashpoint – the shops at Aydoyne where an Orange Order parade is banned from returning past on Monday evening. | Northern Ireland’s chief constable has said violence is not inevitable as the Ulster loyalist marching season reaches its climax. George Hamilton turned up at the most dangerous flashpoint – the shops at Aydoyne where an Orange Order parade is banned from returning past on Monday evening. |
| Appealing for peace at this sectarian interface, Hamilton said: “Violence is not inevitable but what is inevitable is if people break the law then it’s our responsibility to gather evidence and bring people to court. We don’t want to bring negative consequences for young people by taking them before the courts with them getting criminal convictions and possibly jail sentences.“ | Appealing for peace at this sectarian interface, Hamilton said: “Violence is not inevitable but what is inevitable is if people break the law then it’s our responsibility to gather evidence and bring people to court. We don’t want to bring negative consequences for young people by taking them before the courts with them getting criminal convictions and possibly jail sentences.“ |
| Speaking from the scene, the Sinn Féin minister – and former IRA member and Old Bailey bomber – Gerry Kelly said he believed there could be a long-term solution to the controversies over parades and the flying of flags in the province. | |
| Kelly said: “Last night was the quietest I have seen for a very long time. It wasn’t helped by the burning of effigies – what I have to say are hate-filled bonfires. Today will be a peaceful protest and I hope and believe we can go about our business peacefully. And I hope that the atmosphere perhaps will help us when we get back into talks. We have, thousands and thousands of times before, but dialogue is the way to resolution.” | |
| Related: Eyewitness: Belfast | Related: Eyewitness: Belfast |
| The Sinn Féin assembly member for North Belfast said all-party talks late last year could lead to compromises over the issues of parades and flags. | The Sinn Féin assembly member for North Belfast said all-party talks late last year could lead to compromises over the issues of parades and flags. |
| About 3,000 police officers backed by water cannon and a helicopter are on duty with riot squad units being deployed at sectarian flashpoints, mainly in Belfast. | About 3,000 police officers backed by water cannon and a helicopter are on duty with riot squad units being deployed at sectarian flashpoints, mainly in Belfast. |
| To mark the 325th anniversary of King William of Orange’s victory at the Battle of the Boyne, Northern Ireland’s Stormont parliament is to be illuminated on Monday night with Orange lights. | To mark the 325th anniversary of King William of Orange’s victory at the Battle of the Boyne, Northern Ireland’s Stormont parliament is to be illuminated on Monday night with Orange lights. |