3rd July 2003

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Kelly - Parades must be re-routed

North Belfast Sinn Fein representative Gerry Kelly today led a delegation including West Belfast Councillor Tom Hartley, North Belfast Councillor Eoin O Broin and North Belfast representative Cathy Staunton to meet the Parades Commission.

Speaking following this afternoon's meeting Mr. Kelly said:

``Over the past number of years we have sent the Orange Order consistently ignore the Parade Commission s rulings when it comes to the Springfield Road march. Indeed this has been highlighted by local residents today who presented the Parades Commission with a dossier highlighting a number of breaches made at last weekend s parade.

``In my own constituency of North Belfast we saw the PSNI, with the acquiescence of the Parades Commission, attempt to allow loyalists, many of whom were drunk, to march past the Ardoyne shops. This was despite the fact that this ran contrary to the Parades Commission s own determination.

``It is wholly unacceptable that the Parades Commission continues to ignore breaches of their own rulings when it comes to these two parades. Today we made this case to the Commission and called upon them not to allow the proposed march planned for the 12th to pass by nationalist homes on the Springfield Road and the Ardoyne Shops.''

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