THE SDLP has failed to add its name to a statement signed by senior churchmen, politicians, and community organisations calling on a nationalist residents' group to call off a planned march close to an interface in north Belfast.
This evening's protest follows an agreement between the Orange Order and the nationalist residents’ group CARA that will allow Orangemen to march along the contested route past Ardoyne tomorrow morning.
The group, which includes Bishop of Down and Connor Noel Treanor and his church of Ireland counterpart Alan Abernethy, have signed a “community advert” placed in today’s Irish News which calls for the protest to be called off.
The development came as the Parade Commission banned the planned protest this evening, which is expected to attract up to 500 people, from walking from Estoril Park to the Ardoyne Library on the Crumlin Road.
The commission has ruled that those taking part should not pass the junction of Estoril Park and Balholm Drive.
In a separate determination the commission gave the group permission to hold a protest involving 60 people on the Crumlin during the Orange Order march tomorrow morning.
Prominent north Belfast priests Fr Gary Donegan and Fr Martin Magill have also added their voice to the call for the Greater Ardoyne Residents’ Collective (Garc) organised march to be to called off.
The protest was organised in response to a deal struck between Crumlin and Ardoyne Residents’ Association (Cara) and the Orange Order which will see three lodges and two bands march past nationalist homes in the area tomorrow morning.
Garc was not involved in the negotiations that led to the deal which includes the removal of the loyalist protest camp at Twaddell Avenue and a “moratorium” placed on future return Twelfth parades in the area.
The agreement was brokered in a bid to end a stand-off dating back to the Parades Commission decision to ban Orangemen from returning past the area on July 12, 2013.
The statement, which supports the agreement, has also been signed by Sinn Féin MLA’s Gerry Kelly and Carál Ní Chuilín, as well as the Alliance Party’s David Ford and Naomi Long.
Academics, including Queen’s University lecturer Peter Doran and Professor Brandon Hamber of Ulster University, along with several north and west Belfast-based community groups have also given their support.
A spokesman for Garc has said the group intends to press ahead with its plans to march.
“We are now faced with a perverse situation where 250 loyalists will march through our area with the blessing of Sinn Féin while the residents of the area have been banned from marching the same stretch of road 12-13 hours before."
The spokesman added: “We view with cynicism attempts by Sinn Féin to portray this as having wide ranging agreement in the community by coercing some groups to put their names to a statement criticising Garc,” he said.
He added that support from the Catholic church for the statement “dispels the myth that they are impartial and not in favour of Sinn Féin’s normalisation agenda within republican communities”.
Fr Gary Donegan, whose last act as rector of Holy Cross will be to monitor tomorrow's protest before he moves to a new parish, last night said the deal was the best on offer.
“It’s something that obviously is not welcome by everyone in society but there is never going to be a perfect solution to this situation,” he said.
“I am surprised that from areas it has not been endorsed, I would have expected an endorsement to it form the political parties.
“For the betterment of society in the future we need this.”
The priest added that while he believed in the right to protest he feels there is no need for tonight’s protest.
When asked why the SDLP has not signed up to the statement a spokesman said party leader Colum Eastwood and North Belfast MLA Nichola Mallon have already issued a statement “advising Garc to reconsider Friday’s planned parade”
In his statement Mr Eastwood appealed for calm while Ms Mallon said: “There is a clear responsibility on all those in leadership positions in Ardoyne to exercise their authority within our community to ensure that this weekend passes off peacefully.”
