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Nationalist residents join forces to oppose marches

NATIONALIST residents from areas across Northern Ireland with contentious Orange Order parades have joined forces to form an umbrella group to oppose loyalist marches.

Communities Against Sectarian Parades (Casp) involves people from the Short Strand in east Belfast, Springfield Road in west Belfast and the north Belfast flashpoint of Ardoyne.

There is also representation from rural areas such as Rasharkin in Co Antrim and Newtownbutler in Co Fermanagh.

The group said it had support from an alternative Carrick Hill residents group set up in Belfast in recent weeks to oppose marches past St Patrick's Church in Donegall Street, although there was no-one from the area present at the meeting held in Ardoyne community centre.

Its membership is made up of groups who have formed in areas where there were already residents associations. It argues that the existing groups have been rendered "ineffective due to political interference".

"They are controlled by a political party and we want to give a voice back to people on the ground," spokesman Sean Hanna from the Rasharkin Residents Collective said.

Mr Hanna said that decisions on whether to meet with the police or hold talks with the Orange Order or Parades Commission would remain up to the individual groups.

He said the strength of the collective was its unified supportive role.

"Our coalition will aim to highlight and confront the denial of our human rights to live free from sectarian harassment that is associated with sectarian marches," he said.

"We believe in a holistic approach to confront these marches."

Mr Hanna would not say if the collective has planned any joint protests in the run-up to the Twelfth saying that was "yet to be decided".

While Casp was announcing its formation to a panel of journalists, a meeting was taking place in a separate room of the community centre involving Galway Fianna Fail TD Eamon O'Cuiv, residents and members of the Greater Ardoyne Residents Collective.

Aidan Ferguson was one of the people who met with the justice committee member.

He said that they discussed a number of issues connected to loyalist parades which pass the nationalist interface.

"It was a very positive meeting and we will be formally inviting him to act as an independent observer during the July marches," Mr Ferguson said.

The Irish News contacted Mr O'Cuiv's office about the meeting but did not receive a response.

? MEETINGS: Above, Sean Hanna of the Rasharkin Residents Collective, centre, with members of other nationalist residents groups at the Ardoyne community centre in north Belfast yesterday. Left, Galway Fianna Fail TD Eamon O'Cuiv