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![]() ![]() Monday, April 13, 1998 Published at 17:25 GMT 18:25 UK ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Peaceful start to marching season ![]() The parade passed off peacefully, but warnings of violence remain
The Northern Ireland peace settlement cleared another crucial hurdle when the first contentious day in the marching calendar drew to a close without incident.
An Apprentice Boys' parade in Belfast stopped short of the Catholic Lower
Ormeau Road on Monday.
The area was the scene of violent confrontations two years ago.
The Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, Ronnie Flanagan, said there was still scope for "tremendous disorder" in the weeks ahead.
"Undoubtedly there are people out there intent on murder, intent on bombing,
intent on wrecking any prospect that there is for a peaceful outcome," he
said.
Marchers expressed their unhappiness
A dozen marchers from the Belfast Walker Club, together with one band,
took part in the half-mile parade along the almost-deserted Ormeau Road.
They handed in a letter of protest about the re-routing when they reached a line of police at the bridge which divides the two communities, but there was no confrontation.
Mr Flanagan praised the marchers' "great maturity", but expressed his
concern that there was no evidence of any local agreements about other
contentious parades.
The re-routing of the march was the first decision of the Parades Commission,
which was set up to try to avert sectarian clashes.
The commission's preliminary views on Drumcree and other contentious parades
are due to be announced in the week beginning April 20.
Meanwhile, the man who chaired the talks which ended in Friday's agreement
is meeting President Clinton at the White House.
He has already given a warning that the agreement could collapse unless
those involved work hard to make it a success.
It was also reported on Monday that a cross-community university is to be built on the peace line in west Belfast in the wake of the peace settlement agreed at Stormont.
The £60m campus is earmarked for a site on the Springfield Road, the dividing line between the Catholic and Protestant communities.
As the Province gears up for a May 22 referendum on the peace
settlement, the Pope has appealed for "responsible and concrete gestures" to make
the deal a success.
He was speaking as rebel Ulster Unionist MPs threatened to join a "no"
campaign being spearheaded by the Democratic Unionist leader, the Rev Ian Paisley.
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