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 The BBC's John Thorne"It was brought forward not to disrupt Christmas shopping"  real 28k  Apprentice Boys Governor Alistair Simpson"Everyone can be happy"  real 28kBogside Residents' spokesman Donncha MacNiallais"Wider political developments" real 28k |
Parade hailed as 'flagship'
Apprentice Boys: New march towards accommodation |
A Protestant parade in Northern Ireland has passed off relatively peacefully for the first time in recent years thanks to an unprecedented deal to avoid violence.
 If you want to resolve your problems, get round the table and talk about them and have a wee bit of civility and respect for one another  |
| Mayor of Derry |
About 2,000 Apprentice Boys and 25 bands marched through Londonderry to a service at Saint Columbs' Cathedral to celebrate Lundy's Day, an important date in the loyal order's calendar.
They then completed the second part of the march through the flashpoint Diamond area of the city.
Police lined the route, but the security presence was kept to a minimum.
Shops, normally closed on parades days, opened and the only trouble was minor scuffles at the end of the parade with one man arrested for assault.
There was accommodation on both sides |
But it was held two weeks early after local traders expressed concern about the effect on pre-Christmas trade.
The Bogside Residents' Group, opposed to the parades, recognised the gesture and called off a planned protest.
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He said: "I would hope that we are the flagship here in this city, to send a message to the whole of Northern Ireland, that we can have a settlement without giving away our principles on either side, but yet everybody can be happy at the end of the day."
Mayor of Derry Pat Ramsey: Civility and respect |
He said: "This is the best I have seen up to date as regards any parade over recent times.
"It is important that Derry has taken the lead. If you want to resolve your problems, get round the table and talk about them and have a wee bit of civility and respect for one another."
Garvan O'Doherty, a member of Derry's Town Centre Management group, which brokered talks between the two groups and business people, welcomed the compromise.
He told the BBC: "It is very important for the city because of the pictures of violence which were sent out twice a year in August and December, which didn't really reflect the quality of life and the opportunity and the people, so it was important to put this one to bed.
Apprentice Boys Governor Alistair Simpson: Flagship |
Mr O'Doherty added that he felt the community had moved forward since the days when the two groups refused to get into dialogue together.
He said: "What you are seeing in Northern Ireland is a common sense approach to living together."
Wider developments
Donncha MacNiallais of the Bogside Residents Group said he believed the situation in the city had been helped by wider political developments.
He said: "We are hopeful that today will pass off peacefully and we believe that the events this week in Belfast and Dublin and London have have actually assisted the process."
Shops in Londonderry have closed in recent years during big Apprentice Boys' demonstrations which have turned into huge security operations.
Last December rioting flared in the city when nationalist youths attempted to confront the parade in the Diamond area.
There was also a night of disturbances and damage to businesses in the city in August when the main Apprentice Boys' march was allowed to proceed through the city centre route.
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See also: |
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03 Dec 99 | Northern Ireland |
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The Apprentice Boys' march |
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14 Aug 99 | UK |
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Who are the Apprentice Boys? |
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09 Jul 99 | UK |
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Marching with the Parades Commission |
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05 Aug 99 | UK |
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Businessmen broker Derry march dispute talks |
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16 Aug 99 | UK |
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Violence tops security agenda |
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17 Aug 99 | Northern Ireland |
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Derry parades trouble blights investment hopes |
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