Parade 'could lead to disorder'

Conditions have been imposed on the Apprentice Boys' march

A loyal order parade must not pass close to a flashpoint area of east Belfast because of fears of sectarian clashes, the Parades Commission has said.

The Protestant Apprentice Boys lodged an application to parade close to the nationalist Short Strand area which has seen clashes between nationalists and loyalists in the past.

However, in a ruling on Saturday, the Parades Commission said there was "a real possibility of damaging community relations with a consequent effect on the likelihood of public disorder" if the parade were to proceed along the entire route on 7 June.

The commission said it noted the parade was to pass the flashpoint area twice and had been told the routes "demonstrate a total lack of sensitivity" on the part of the parade organisers.

It also said fears had been expressed that the parade, to celebrate the anniversary of the Queen's Coronation, "has the potential to throw into disarray all the hard work locally that has gone into calming interface tensions and into building cross-community dialogue on the part of both main traditions".

The commission stressed its ruling did not significantly affect the right of those taking part in the parade to assemble.

And it said it believed the conditions imposed "strike a fair balance between the needs of the community and the rights of the individual".

The government established the Parades Commission in 1998 to make decisions on whether controversial parades should be restricted.

Commission rulings restricting marches by the Protestant loyal orders, which are opposed by nationalist residents, have led to calls by unionist politicians for the body to be scrapped.