Ardoyne parade deal: Garc protest ends peacefully

Garc opposes an agreement aimed at resolving a long-running dispute in Ardoyne

A protest against an Orange Order parade in north Belfast passed off peacefully on Friday evening.

There was a heavy police presence at the demonstration by the Greater Ardoyne Residents Collective (Garc), which opposes an agreement aimed at resolving a long-running dispute in the area.

Over 200 people took part.

The group does not accept the deal that will see an Orange Parade pass the Ardoyne shops on Saturday morning.

The agreement was brokered between another residents group - the Crumlin Ardoyne Residents Association (Cara) - and the Orange Order last weekend.

The agreement to which Garc is opposed was announced last week between the Orange Order and the Crumlin Ardoyne Residents Association (Cara)

It has been backed by local politicians, as well as the British and Irish governments.

It involves a voluntary moratorium on future return parades, but Garc says it will protest as long as there are any Orange parades in the area.

A short distance away, on Twaddell Avenue, a loyalist protest parade also took place on Friday evening.

A loyalist protest parade was held on Twaddell Avenue

It has happened almost nightly since the dispute over the Ligoniel lodges' return parade began.

That parade also passed off peacefully and a large PSNI security operation was scaled back shortly after 20:00 BST.

Another Garc protest will take place during Saturday's Orange Order parade

Over 400 officers were on the ground during the protest and parade and around 600 officers will return for Saturday morning's parade that will begin at 08:30 BST.

Another Garc protest will take place during that parade. It has been limited to 60 participants by the Parades Commission.

However, Garc spokesperson Damien 'Dee' Fennell said residents of the area "have the right to attend the front of the road...and roads outside their houses and observe the parade for any breaches and I hope as many of them do as possible".

He added: "Tomorrow morning, we're going to see a sectarian parade through this area. It's a return parade. It's something that the people of this area thought was dead, gone and not coming back.

"It's been resurrected by Sinn Féin and the UVF and the people in this area came out tonight overwhelmingly to oppose that deal."

Earlier on Friday, churches appealed to Garc to call its plans.

There was a heavy police presence at the protest, which passed off peacefully

A community advert placed in the Irish News said the protest would not help ease tensions.

Among the signatories are politicians, academics and sporting organisations as well as the Catholic Bishop of Down and Connor, Noel Treanor, and the Church of Ireland Bishop of Connor, Alan Abernethy.

Church leaders, politicians, academics as well sporting and community organisations have signed an advert in the 'Irish News' in support of the north Belfast parades agreement

It stated: "We believe this is the best opportunity we have had in 15 years to resolve an issue, which has divided our community for many years.

"It is our view the introduction of another evening parade, no matter what part of the community it comes from, would inevitably and regrettably, whether intentional or otherwise raise tensions, damage community relations, and has the potential to end in confrontation and undermine a long sought after resolution."

Over 400 PSNI officers were on the ground in Ardoyne

The agreement to which Garc is opposed was announced last week between the Orange Order and the Crumlin Ardoyne Residents Association (Cara).

Outgoing Ardoyne priest Fr Gary Donegan has been criticised by residents group GARC who appose a deal aimed at resolving the north Belfast parades dispute

The group is billing its protest as a "march and rally to oppose ongoing sectarian parades and SF/UVF deal (Sinn Féin/Ulster Volunteer Force)".

Garc spokesman Dee Fennell attended the launch of dissident republican party Saoradh on Saturday 24 September