Contents

British Army and RUC invade Garvaghy Road community

3.00 am (BST) Sunday, 6 July 1997
In scenes reminiscent of last year, members of the RUC and British Army in full riot gear invaded the Garvaghy Road and began to baton the residents of the Garvaghy Road off the Road. The Garvaghy Road community were invaded by large numbers of landrovers and armoured vehicles entering from both ends of the Road. The RUC and army operation has met with considerable resistance and petrol bombs were thrown. The RUC fired plastic bullets in their attempts to drive the residents off the road and to corral them in areas away from the Road. Many nationalists sat down in the middle of the street and were then removed by members of the RUC. Bríd Rogers, the SDLP spokesperson for that area has described the military operation as "totally disastrous and brutal in its implementation."

7.00 am (BST)
In a statement issued by the Northern Ireland Office the British Government announces it decision to force the Orange parade through the Garvaghy Road later today following a religious service at Drumcree Parish Church. They say that they have taken the decision "with regret but in the interests of public safety." The statement also went on to say that certain conditions will be imposed on the Orange parade and that if these conditions are not observed the Parades Commission will take this into account in the future.

8.30 am (BST) The RUC Chief Constable announced the decision to force the orange parade down the Garvaghy Road. In his statement he said that he had been faced with a decision based on "which evil will bring about less violence". In hiss view forcing the parade through a nationalist area would result in less violence than stopping it.

9.00 am (BST)
In a statement issued by the Pat Finucane Centre, it said that: "The decision to force the Orange parade down the Garvaghy Road will have enormous consequences for Northern Ireland. Once again we see a British Government unwilling to confront the unreasonable face of unionism and those elements in the Orange Order who want to deny nationalists their rights. Despite all the talk of upholding the rule of law, what the British Government has done is again to reward those who will not negotiate or talk but insist on getting their way against everybody else. The statement by the RUC Chief Constable also accepts that their decision was based on the threat of violence by unionists and loyalists. This has also been combined with a display of deception and deceit which has irretrievably damaged the credibility of Mo Mowlam as Secretary of state. She had previously assured the residents and others that her decision would be announced well in advance . She told both the Orange Order and the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition that she would tell them personally ahead of any decision what that decision would be. She has done neither. Instead she issued a statement on Friday (4 July) deliberately intended to mislead residents and this morning initial troop movements in Portadown were calculated to give the impression that the Orange Order would be stopped from going down the Garvaghy Road. There can be no other interpretation on these events but that she deliberately set out to deceive.

12 noon (BST) RUC officers and British troops have prevented Catholics from the Garvaghy Road areas from going to mass this morning at their local chapel. An open air mass has been held inside the ring of steel thrown up by British soldiers and members of the RUC.

1.30 pm (BST)
The Orange Order parade has been forced down the Garvaghy Road. Live TV pictures on both UTV and RTE showed the scene as scores of armoured vehicles blocked the residents of the Gravaghy Road in order that Orangemen could march down the Garvaghy Road led by an Orangeman carrying a Union Jack. Interviews with residents suggest that the degree of violence used by the RUC was more severe than last year. Pictures showed Brid Rogers and Alex Attwood, two SDLP representatives being manhandled by the RUC as well as nonviolent demonstrators being battoned off the road.

The Bogside Residents' Group has announced a protest demonstration will take place in Derry at 7.00 pm (BST) tonight. The march will begin at Free Derry corner and proceed to the RUC barracks in the Strand Road. It is expected that the Bogside Residents' Group will annnounced plans for a major demonstration on Craigavon Bridge for next Friday, one day ahead of the proposed Orange parade in the city on 12 July.

10.00 pm (BST)
A massive demonstration has taken place in the centre of Derry tonight. Many thousands of people marched from Free Derry Corner to the RUC barracks in Strand Road to protest at the decision of the British Government to force through an Orange parade down the Garvaghy Road. Speakers at the rally were Donncha Mac Niallais of the Bogside Residents’ Group and Martin McGuinness, MP for Mid-Ulster. Both speakers criticised the decision of the British Government and spoke of the sense of betrayal at the decision of the British Government.

There have been minor disturbances in the city (Derry)this evening. Many people have gathered at the junction of William Street and Rossville Street. Several vehicles have been set alight and a British army helicopter flies overhead. Members of the Pat Finucane Centre will be monitoring the situation as it developes.

The Bogside Residents’ Group has announced a public meeting for 7.30 pm this Tuesday, 8 July in Pilot’s Row Community Centre in the Bogside. There is now growing opposition within the city to the proposed Orange parade which is scheduled for this Saturday (12 July) which is planned for the city centre.

Further news bulletins on the developing situation in the Garvaghy Road will be carried here as the events unfold today.

Former Republican activist meets Orange Order

Despite stating that it was contrary to their deeply held principles to meet with people convicted of "terrorist" offences, it was announced at the beginning of last week (30 June) that leaders of the Orange Order have been meeting with Sean O'Callaghan. O'Callaghan, who was convicted of murdering two RUC officers in Omagh, has publicly acknowledged that while he was a member of the IRA he was working for the Garda Special Branch. According to a report in the Irish Times O'Callaghan met with senior Orange Order figures and told them that the IRA has been engaged in a policy of creating sectarian tension over the parades issue since 1985. This was in order to create conflict between Loyalists and the British Government. The report claims that O'Callaghan met the Orange leaders in the company of two right-wing members of the British Conservative party, "Lord" Cranborne who is the Conservative leader in the House of Lords and Andrew Hunter, MP.

Amnesty report on the North of Ireland

Amnesty International has published a new report on human rights violations within Northern Ireland. The report, entitled UK: an agenda for human rights protection calls for, amongst other things, the closure of Castlereagh detention centre. It also calls for the findings of the Widgery Report to be quashed and demands that the new British Government order a new inquiry into Bloody Sunday.

The report singles out the activities of the RUC for particular criticism. The report states that Amnesty was "concerned by the authorities failure to ensure that policing is carried out in an even-handed manner." The report also draws attention to the issue of collusion between the security forces and loyalist paramilitary groups. It also calls on the government to review the use of plastic bullets. It states, in line with the conclusions first highlighted by the Pat Finucane Centre's own report, In the Line of Fire that there was a "disproportionate number of plastic bullets fired at Catholic protesters as opposed to Protestant protesters" during last year's events sparked off by the events at Drumcree Church. The report quotes RUC figures which state that 662 bullets were fired at unionist protesters from 7-11 July whereas over 50000 bullets were fired at nationalists from 11 - 14 July.

Congress report on plastic bullets

Twenty two members of the USA congress have put their names to a letter calling on the British Government to immediately ban the use of plastic bullets. The letter follows a report on the British Government's human rights record in Northern Ireland published by Congress's sub-committee on international operations and human rights. The Congressmen expressed the hope that a ban on the use of plastic bullets would prevent a repeat of the violence witnessed last year.

The report states that: "In view of the testimony provided to our sub- committee, the questions that have surfaced regarding the sectarian use of plastic bullets, and in light of the recent admission of the Ministry of Defence with regard to the unreliability of these deadly 'plastic bombs', we hope you will agree that the Labour party cannot wait a moment longer to make good on its promise, while it as the party in opposition, to ban the bullets." As it happens the new British Government has stated that it has no intention of withdrawing the use of plastic bullets.

US official meets Centre and Residents' Groups

The New York City Controller, Alan Hevesi, met with members of the Pat Finucane Centre, the Bogside Residents' Group and the Bellaghy Residents' Group in a joint meeting in Derry on Wednesday (2 July). Mr Hevesi and his entourage are in the North of Ireland to meet with various groupings and to act as observers of Orange Order parades. The delegation also includes John Timoney, a former New York Police Department Deputy Commissioner. During the meeting members of both groups explained the background to the parading conflict in Derry and in particular the two main Apprentice Boys' parades which take place in the city in August and December. Bogside Residents' Group chairman, Charles Lamberton said that over the past year the group had met with a variety of groups within Derry in an attempt to try and resolve the situation. Unfortunately however the one group who would not meet with the Residents' was the Apprentice Boys.

Robin Percival, a member of both the Bogside Residents' Group and the Pat Finucane Centre took the US delegation through the negotiations which had taken place between themselves and the Apprentice Boys in August. He gave the delegation the two documents which the BRG had presented to the Apprentice Boys. These documents show that the claim by the Apprentice Boys that the BRG kept "changing the goal posts" was false and untrue. In fact right from the start the BRG had identified the issues which needed a resolution, but that the Apprentice Boys were unable or unwilling to tackle the issue of the so-called "feeder parades", that is those parades which feed into the main Derry parade and take place in areas like Bellaghy and Dunloy.

The visit culminated with a guided tour of the walls. Whilst in Derry the US delegation also met the Democratic Unionist party and the Governor of the Apprentice Boys.

Irish are the victims of racism

A report commissioned by the Commission for Racial Equality in London and which was presented in Dublin on Monday (30 June) by the National Co-ordinating Committee for the European Year against Racism has said that Irish people living in Britain are constantly reminded that they are not entitled to an equal place. The chairman of the CRE, Sir Herman Ouseley said in a statement that "Britain has been a place of welcome and opportunity for many Irish people. ....Yet despite this there is evidence of inequality, discrimination and prejudice." The report recommends that the Irish be categorised as a distinct ethnic group in censuses etc.

Danny McNamee case referred to court of appeal

The case of Danny McNamee has been referred back to the London Court of Appeal by the Criminal Case Review Commission. Danny McNamee was convicted of the 1987 of the IRA Hyde Park bomb in 1982. He was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment.

Danny McNamee's solicitor, Gareth Peirce, said that the case was being referred to the court of appeal because of new forensic evidence which had been discovered by a "miraculous series of chances."

In their statement the CCRC said: "Following inquiries into a number of issues, including scientific evidence, fingerprint evidence and disclosure of evidence at the time of the original appeal, the commission believes that Mr McNamee's conviction should be reconsidered by the Court of Appeal." It is understood the new forensic evidence relates to a thumbprint on a battery which the prosecution alleged was Danny McNamee's and was found in the debris of the bomb site, and to fingerprints on a tape used on bomb-making devices discovered in two hidden arms caches. This evidence has been discredited by several independent forensic experts. In 1991 Danny McNamee's original appeal was rejected by the Court of Appeal.

Bloody Sunday relatives petition Prime Minister

Relatives of those killed on Bloody Sunday and members of the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign have handed in a petition with 40,000 signatories to the Prime Minister of Britain at 10 Downing Street on Thursday (3 July). The petition was made up of signatories which were mostly drawn from the Derry City Council area. The petition calls upon the British Government to repudiate the findings of the Widgery Tribunal and to establish a new independent inquiry.

Following the visit to Downing Street, the relatives had an hour long meeting over lunch with Mo Mowlam, the British Secretary of State. She told the relatives that she was looking at all the new evidence which has recently come to light and which has been presented to the British Government by the outgoing Irish Government as well as evidence presented by the relatives to the former Secretary of state by Patrick Mayhew. This new evidence includes statements made by a member of the British Parachute regiment which alleges that evidence presented to the Widgery Tribunal was massaged. It is believed that Mo Mowlam said it would probably be between three and four months before she responded to the new evidence. The relatives also had a meeting with Labour MPs, Tony Benn, Kevin McNamara and John McCallion. While in London the relatives also laid a wreath at Westminster Abbey in memory of those killed.

McBride murderers still seek early release

In a judgement likely to further undermine confidence in the Northern Ireland judiciary, Mr Justice Girvan has ruled that the two soldiers who murdered an unarmed civilian in 1992 when they shot Peter McBride in the back are entitled to be treated differently and have their cases considered for early release even though they have only served five years of a life sentence. Following a judicial review, Girvan criticised the former British Secretary of state Patrick Mayhew who, in a sworn affidavit said that the two soldiers should serve " significantly longer term of imprisonment" then either Clegg or Thain, two other British soldiers release early after having been found guilty of murder. Mayhew was seeking to justify to the court why he had not been prepared to refer their case to the Life Sentence Review Body until October of this year. The two soldiers are James Fisher and Mark Wright and both belong to the Scots Guards. In his statement Girvan said: "Putting all the factors on to the scales the decision-maker may well feel driven to conclude that early release or an early reference to the board would be appropriate."

Pat Finucane Centre publishes pamphlet on Loyal Orders

The Pat Finucane Centre has published this week a new report entitled: For God and Ulster: an alternative guide to the loyal orders The 50 page document, is an examination of the history and role of all the various Loyal orders, including both the Orange Order and the Apprentice Boys. It can be obtained at the Centre, price £3.50