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Revised anti-internment parade proposals rejected

Organisers of the 2016 anti-internment parade read out speeches after police blocked off the Falls Road to prevent marchers going to the city hall. Picture by Cliff Donaldson.
Organisers of the 2016 anti-internment parade read out speeches after police blocked off the Falls Road to prevent marchers going to the city hall. Picture by Cliff Donaldson. Organisers of the 2016 anti-internment parade read out speeches after police blocked off the Falls Road to prevent marchers going to the city hall. Picture by Cliff Donaldson.

REVISED proposals for an anti-internment parade through Belfast city centre this weekend have been rejected by the Parades Commission for the second time in three days.

Earlier this week the commission banned the proposed route of an anti-internment march for the second year running.

In response the organisers, the Anti-Internment League (AIL), notified the commission of plans to take an alternative route from north Belfast to west Belfast via Carrick Hill and Millfield and onto Divis Street for a rally in west Belfast.

This route would have taken the parade past Peters Hill, which is close to the Shankill Road and a mainly unionist enclave known as Brown Square.

However the Parades Commission has now banned that potential route as well.

The AIL parade planned to bring 5,000 people and five bands through the city centre on Sunday to mark the 46th anniversary of the introduction of internment.

In the original plan the parade was to leave Ardoyne in north Belfast at 11.30am before travelling along Cliftonville Road, Antrim Road, New Lodge Road, North Queen Street, Donegall Street and Royal Avenue, before moving along Castle Street to a rally in west Belfast.

The Parades Commission has ruled that the route of both proposed parades should proceed only as far the entrance of Clifton House on North Queen Street before either dispersing or returning to Ardoyne Avenue.

Solicitor for the AIL Michael Brentnall last night said the group intends asking the Parades Commission to review their decision.

“This is put forward on the basis that the Commission has taken an inequitable approach to the AIL application when considered for example that the commission approve an annual march which travels past the Short Strand, an entirely contentious route, and the operational actions of the PSNI are to shield the area off,” he said.

“This is obviously a factor in the decision making process of the commission of that parade, however the question must be asked why has that not been able to have been facilitated in this instance?"

In its determination the commission said it “has reflected upon the volatile and fluid situation which may present on the day of this parade and concluded that the risks surrounding it, particularly around the Peters Hill/Brown Square interface is high”.

Two other marches planned for this Sunday, one expected to involve members of the far-right group Britain First and a separate loyalist protest parade, which were due to take place around the same time, also had restrictions placed on them.

Meanwhile, one of the organisers of the ‘Northern Ireland Against Terrorism’ rally, independent councillor Jolene Bunting, has said in a statement the event “aims to unite Ulster loyalists and British patriots in solidarity following the recent horrific terrorist attacks in Manchester and London”.

The event is set to take place outside Belfast City Hall on Sunday afternoon and will involve senior members of far-right group Britain First, including leader Paul Golding and deputy leader Jayda Fransen, who are expected to address the event.