Ardoyne protest over parade ruling
Crowds have gathered in north Belfast to protest against the Parades Commission’s decision to place restrictions on the Orange Order’s Tour of the North due to take place on Friday night.
Two feeder parades have been re-routed away from an interface area in Ardoyne, which has been the scene of violent clashes in previous years.
A two-hour protest organised by the loyalist North and West Belfast Parades and Cultural Forum took place in the Crumlin Road area on Thursday evening.
Winston Irvine, from the organisation, said: “This goes right to the very heart of people’s basic fundamental human rights – the right to freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly – is fundamental and at the core of the problem here.”
Nationalist residents later gathered in the Twaddell Avenue area.
Martin Og Meehan, from the Greater Ardoyne Residents Coalition, said he was “really angry and really annoyed” at the protest.
Motorists were advised by police to avoid the area, including the Ardoyne and Crumlin Roads, during the protests which ended at around 7pm.
While no further protests have yet been planned, there will be a significant police presence to ensure the march passes off peacefully on Friday night.
