Finlay hits out at Parades Commission
Ballymoney DUP Councillor John Finlay has hit out at the Parades Commission after they ruled against Dunloy Orangemen restricting them to only parade the front of the Orange Hall grounds on the Twelfth day.
Cllr. Finlay said in a statement that, in his opinion, “once again the Commission had rewarded those who threaten violence and discriminated against those Orangemen who have behaved in a mature and responsible fashion in abiding by the Parades Commission ruling year after year.”
His statement went on:
“This represents a sad state of affairs where Orangemen are refused their right to parade on a public road owned by both communities rather than one.
“I am disappointed that the Commission once again confined Dunloy Orangemen to the length of the front of the Orange Hall grounds which is enforced by the PSNI.
“This is further evidence that this unelected quango needs to go.
“It would have gone this year if it hadn’t been for a minority of Unionists’ opposing its dissolution and replacing it with something that would have been better.
“I hope that we can come to a solution and that we see the Parades Commission go in order to rule on the right of loyal and law bidding citizens of this country to walk the length of a publicly owned road.
Shame on the Parades Commission for enforcing this ruling and shame on the PSNI.”
The Dunloy band and members of the Loyal Orders in the village have, for some years, been restricted to a short parade outside the hall.
Meanwhile, it is understood that the hall has been re-painted by those associated with it.
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Weather for Ballymoney
Friday 24 May 2013
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