NORTHERN IRELAND: VIOLENCE BREAKS OUT AS MARCH GOES AHEAD

(11 Jul 1996) Natural Sound Sectarian violence has broken out on the streets of Northern Ireland after riot police allowed a controversial Protestant march through a Catholic neighbourhood. Police and soldiers moved into a Catholic neighborhood in the town of Portadown to clear the streets for the bitterly disputed march that has brought havoc to region. Violence quickly erupted -- the police were met with a hail of rocks and bottles by local residents. Police fired several rounds of `plastic' bullets at the crowd after petrol bombs were thrown at them. After five tense days, the police and army finally allowed the Protestant Orange Order march through the Catholic enclave of Garvaghy Road on Thursday. The army had moved in swiftly to break the five-day deadlock in Portadown, 25 miles (40 kilometres) southwest of Belfast. Officers of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (R-U-C) were in full riot gear and the mood became increasing intense. They had earlier forcibly cleared the Garvaghy Road of local Catholics determined to block the parade -- violent scuffles broke out between both sides. Local Catholics had vowed to resist any effort to let the marchers through, and pelted the security forces with bottles and bricks as they were lifted and pushed off Garvaghy Road. Lines of riot police kept the two sides apart -- police Land Rovers were driven into position to ensure the parade stuck to its agreed route. The decision to allow the march enraged local Catholics -- it was reached without their agreement, despite hours of negotiating involving church leaders, their representatives and politicians. The police were pelted with bottles and bricks -- six petrol bombs were reported to have been used. Jeers and cat-calls greeted the marching Orangemen as they reached the nationalist Garvaghy Road area of Portadown. Local residents shouted "no sectarian marches" and "we don't want you here" as the parade passed by. Thousands of extra marchers - as well as an Ulster Volunteer Force band - joined the Orange parade by the time it had reached the centre of Portadown. The march ended outside the town's red-brick Orange Hall watched by spectators lining the streets, several tiers deep. Around 1,300 Orangemen - the total membership of the Portadown district, wearing the organisation's uniform of suits, bowler hats and coloured sashes -- took part in the parade. Most of the later marchers did not wear the dark suit uniforms of the lodge members who began the parade from Drumcree church. Instead they were dressed mainly in casual clothes, although all had the distinctive orange sashes of their movement. A five day stalemate had built up between more than one thousand police and crowds from the Orange Order, Northern Ireland's dominant Protestant fraternal group. Since the Orangemen were barred from marching through Garvaghy Road, Protestant mobs have inflicted some of the worst rioting seen in a decade in the British-ruled province. And many observers are predicting further violence tonight, when the Protestants light huge bonfires as part of their annual ritual. Friday sees the climax of the traditional marching season which commemorates 17th century religious battles. #NorthernIreland #march #belfast Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...