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Niente incidenti alla commemorazione repubblicana a Castlederg

Castlederg parade passes peacefully

Parata repubblicana a Castlederg

A contentious republican parade in Castlederg, Co. Tyrone has passed off peacefully amid a heavy police presence.

The annual event in the county, organised by the Tyrone Volunteers Commemoration, this year coincided with the 40th anniversary of the deaths of two local IRA men.

Seamus Harvey and Gerard McGlynn died when the car bomb they were transporting to Castlederg detonated early, exploding in Co Donegal.

Sinn Féin’s Gerry Kelly MLA was a keynote speaker at the event, which his party supported.

Unionist parties and the SDLP opposed the parade.

Senior DUP officials, including Gregory Campbell and Arlene Foster, joined hundreds of protestors at the town’s cenotaph.

Demonstrators were separated by a line of police officers from the republican march.

One loyalist victims’ campaigner, David Kerrigan, said: “There is no use talking to them, they have set relations back in this town 20 years.”

Both sides had appealed for calm ahead of the comemmoration.

Organisers of the event had been told by the Parades Commission that it would not be allowed to proceed around The Diamond area of the town and that no paramilitary trappings would be permitted.

Secretary of State Theresa Villiers wanted the event to be cancelled.

“I know the deep pain this parade will cause the families of victims in West Tyrone area and rest of NI,” she said ahead of the event.

“I would appeal for calm in Castlederg today.

“All possible support must be given to the police in upholding the rule of law and acting to keep the community safe at this tense time,” she said.

On Thursday, she explained that she does not have the powers to cancel the parade, but asked those behind it to think again.

“This parade is damaging to community relations and even at this late stage I would call upon the organisers to think again and call it off,” the NI Secretary explained.

“On the issue of legal powers to ban the parade, these are restricted and narrowly defined. The criteria set out in legislation that would enable me to intervene are not satisfied in this case. I realise that will disappoint many but I am bound by the law.”

Ms Villiers was speaking after a meeting with Derg Valley Victims’ Voice on Thursday, who opposed the commemoration event.

Barry McElduff, Sinn Féin West Tyrone MLA, said that Theresa Villiers should stay out of parading issues, accusing her of further endorsing the view that there is a hierarchy of victims when it comes to the Troubles.

“Sinn Féin believe that there can be no hierarchy of victims and that we all should have the opportunity to remember our dead.”

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René Querin

Di professione grafico e web designer, sono appassionato di trekking e innamorato dell'Irlanda e della sua storia. Insieme ad Andrea Varacalli ho creato e gestisco Les Enfants Terribles.

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