Gerry Carroll has criticised the Parades Commission's determination permitting an Orange Order march along the Garvaghy Road this Sunday.
“This is a shameful decision. 28 years of peace on the Garvaghy Road was not a problem in need of fixing. Residents made their opposition to this march known in overwhelming numbers, and they have been ignored.”
“Since the High Court ruling, the Orange Order and unionist politicians have waged a campaign of pressure against the Parades Commission. Days later, the Commission has delivered them what they always wanted. This sequence of events will not be lost on anyone.”
“The Commission says its determination should not be seen as a victory for one side or a loss for another. They should tell that to the residents who spent this week living in fear of what’s coming next. Cutting the numbers and moving the start time doesn’t change the malicious character of this march or the message it sends to the people who live there.”
“I met with residents of the Garvaghy Road on Monday alongside Richard Boyd Barrett TD. They are resilient people who simply want to live in peace. They deserved better than this determination and they won’t take it lying down. Both the British and Irish governments have sat on their hands. They should still act to prevent this march from going ahead.”
In a statement Richard Boyd Barrett said:
“I am shocked by the decision to permit the Orange Order march on Garvaghy Road. I visited the area on Monday with Gerry Carroll MLA and talked with residents about the threat they face. They were appalled at the prospect of an Orange March in their area again after 28 years without this malicious invasion.
“I raised the matter in the Dáil on Wednesday and said the Orange Order should not be allowed to march down Garvaghy Road. I told the Government that it is creating real fear and anxiety about a return to an era when 20 people were murdered in the context of these marches.
“It’s very clear that this decision is in response to a concerted campaign of pressure on the Parades Commission by Unionist politicians. The fact is that Unionist politicians and loyalist groups are using this issue to whip up sectarian division as a diversion from recent scandals and their weakening support.
“People should not be subjected to the sort of threat and intimidation that comes with these marches. The Irish Government must contact the British authorities as a matter of urgency to insist that this march is not allowed to take place on Garvaghy Road.
“The people of the area just want to be left in peace. Our party and supporters stand with the community."
Gerry Carroll ended his statement saying:
“Unionist elites do not speak for working class Protestants, and nobody in any community wants a return to the dead-end violence of the past. This determination should not become a licence for anyone to whip up sectarian tension or to target residents of the Garvaghy Road. People Before Profit stands with the Garvaghy Road community this weekend and beyond.”