Rasharkin Seeks Parades Review

Nationalists living in a Co Antrim village are to challenge the Parades Commission's decision to allow a loyalist march through the village next week.

Rasharkin residents want a rethink on the commission's earlier ruling, which gave approval for the Ballymaconnelly Sons of Conquerors Flute Band, and 40 other bands, to parade on 21 August.

Commission Chair Rena Shepherd (pictured) held talks with around 100 community representatives at a meeting in the village last night.

After listening to local objections, Ms Shepherd said any review into the decision would have to meet certain criteria.

"The main ones being new evidence, or where a party felt we had evidence that we hadn't considered when we made our initial decision," she said.

The planned march follows a route along Church Road, Main Street, Bridge Street, and passes through the Moneyleck area.

Protests are expected to be staged by nationalist residents.

Conflict occurred in the area during the Twelfth, with three police officer sustaining injuries after petrol bombs and bricks were thrown at security lines.

Rasharkin Orange Hall has been targeted by vandals several times, sustaining two paint attacks in the past fortnight.

Sinn Féin MLA Daithi McKay branded the approval of the march as "absolutely ridiculous".

Mr McKay said local business will be forced to close, and claimed many local residents will have to leave due to intimidation.

However, Mr McKay has been accused of playing into the hands of "extreme loyalist elements".

SDLP MLA Declan O'Loan said: "They [Sinn Féin] have gone out of their way to underline the contentious nature of the parade,

"The potential for trouble exists particularly when there is a scheduled protest."

The DUP's Ian Paisley Jr defended the bands' right to march through the village.

"I think its absolutely essential that the wrong information and deliberate caricature that is being painted of this band competition is dispelled."

He dismissed suggestions the bands have links to loyalist paramilitaries as "quite frankly not true".

Paramilitary displays or emblems are banned by the Parades Commission, which also limits the number of protesters to 130, including marshals.

(PR/BMcC)