Contentious marches get go-ahead

The Parades Commission, which rules on contentious marches in the province, issued its determination on Monday night.

Another parade has been banned from a nationalist area of south Belfast.

The marches are all taking place on 12 July, the biggest day in the Orange Order's marching season.

The first parade, which passes the nationalist Ardoyne area in north Belfast, has had some restrictions placed on it.

Bands will not be permitted to play music when they pass the nationalist area.

Trouble broke out after the march passed on its return route last year.

Police officers were attacked by nationalists as they secured the route for the Orangemen to pass.

A parade that passes along a nationalist part of the Springfield Road in west Belfast has also been allowed to proceed.

An Orange Order march along the road last month ended in a riot, with nationalists staging a running battle with police.

Water cannon was used to disperse the rioters before police withdrew from the area.

'Bad decision'

Another contentious Orange parade has been barred from passing along the mainly nationalist lower Ormeau Road in south Belfast.

Sinn Fein councillor Margaret McClenaghan condemned the Ardoyne decision.

"It is a bad decision, especially after what happened here last year.

"The Orange Order have yet to speak to any residents' group in this area.

"They don't seem to have to talk to anyone and can walk down any road they like without consultation with the host community," she said.

Democratic Unionist councillor Nelson McCausland called for a heavy police presence at Ardoyne on the day of the march.

"Sinn Fein wanted this re-routed but there is no other route through this area.

"I hope there will be a very strong police presence on the Twelfth in view of the appalling attacks by republicans last year both on the police and the parade," he said.

Leading Belfast Orangeman Dawson Baillie welcomed the determinations on the parades in north and west Belfast but condemned the decision the ban the lower Ormeau march.

"Once again we get the same old story where the Parades Commission are listening to a lot of nonsense.

"People are coming out of their houses and standing on the main thoroughfare to be offended at a time when normally they wouldn't be out of their beds."

The Northern Ireland Parades Commission was set up in 1997 to make decisions on whether controversial parades should be restricted.

The 12 July parades celebrate the most important date in the Orange Order's calendar - the 1690 defeat of Catholic King James by Protestant Prince William of Orange at the Battle of the Boyne.