Nine Catholic churches have been firebombed overnight as part of the continuing campaign by loyalists to force the British Government to overturn the decision of the Parades Commission to reroute this Sunday's Drumcree Orange parade. Three of the churches were completely gutted. One of those was a 200 year old listed building. The attacks took place in counties Antrim, Down, Armagh and Tyrone. Protestant church leaders and unionist politicians, including the Rev. Ian Paisley, have condemned the arson attacks. Media reports have linked the loyalist paramilitary LVF to the clearly coordinated firebombings.The latest violence comes against the background of threats by loyalists to resume violent pickets of the Harryville Catholic chapel in Ballymena and to drive Catholics from loyalist areas. There have also been a number of petrol bomb attacks on Catholic homes in the Waterside and Newbuildings areas of Derry.

The British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Secretary of State Mo Mowlam have both stated that they support the decision to reroute the parade away from the Garvaghy Rd. Despite this there has been growing pressure on Garvaghy residents to back down and accept a parade. The perverse logic of recent newspaper editorials and statements from public figures is the following: Garvaghy residents have been vindicated in their stance by the Parades Commission decision. Now Garvaghy residents, having won the right to be left in peace, should forfeit that right for the 'good of the entire community'. The reason that they should do so, according to the chattering classes, is the threat of violence posed by loyalists over the coming weeks. The Orange Order, which refuses to engage with residents or even recognise the Parades Commission, should be rewarded and allowed to parade through probably the most disempowered, deprived and beleaguered working class nationalist community in the North. Those arguing in favour of this alleged 'compromise' suggest that it would bolster the position of the new First Minister David Trimble MP, who is also a member of the Orange Order.

There are obvious and glaring contradictions in this argument. It is illogical to argue that a parade should be banned only to then pressurise the victim community into voluntarily giving up that same right in the face of threats of violence. To do so would convince the Order (and David Trimble who came to power on the back of the 1995 Drumcree stand-off) that there is need to enter into dialogue on the issue of parades.

David Trimble dug the very hole that he is now scrambling to get out of when he danced an Orange jig with Paisley in the centre of Portadown in 1995. He is the one who needs to face down the Orange Order which after all opposed the Belfast Agreement which led to his election as First Minister.

Through the years the one solution to the problem of Drumcree that has not been implemented is to follow through the decision of the Parades Commission and face down Portadown orangemen. Until that option is taken there will be no resolution of the conflict.

The Pat Finucane will have observers on the Garvaghy Road this coming weekend and updates will be posted on the website as the situation dictates. It is advisable however to sign up to the listserve/mailing list (details on the website) (which is free) since there is always a time lapse between availability of information on the listserve and actual posting on the site. We would also urge readers to send messages of support to the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition at their website.