Sinn Féin North Belfast MLA Gerry Kelly yesterday (Sunday) said that if unionist politicians continue to sit on forums with loyalist paramilitaries then they must take responsibility for their actions.
Mr Kelly was speaking after a weekend of violence when Orange Order members and loyalist paramilitaries rioted on the Shankill Road and nationalist areas of the city came under attack from loyalist gangs. It came after the Orange Order were prevented from parading on to the Springfield Road via Workman Avenue.
"What we have here is a vacuum. There is difficulty with loyal orders supporting unionist politicians at the highest level,who are then demanding to walk through Catholic areas. Then we have the same unionist leaders creating a vacuum by refusing to talk to other political representatives such as Sinn Féin," said Mr Kelly.
"They have also argued, in the words of Fred Cobain, that people shouldn't talk to residents – all of this has a consequence which feeds into what happened yesterday.
"Ian Paisley, who is now the head man in unionism, needs to do something about this.
"They sit on forums with loyalists. If they are prepared to sit down with paramilitary groups, they must take responsibility for the actions which are being carried out."
Mr Kelly said that the weekend violence was not an isolated incident or isolated day.
"This was the culmination of nearly two months of sectarian attacks against Catholic churches, homes, businesses and people themselves, and after one of these paramilitary groups committed four murders.
"It's no coincidence that all this activity in North Belfast in places like Hesketh Road, Ardoyne Road, Alliance Avenue and Tigers Bay, are all on the edge of loyalist areas. Throughout the course of events yesterday they attempted to draw young republicans into this conflict, and I'm glad it was resisted.
"Loyalist mobs, around 500 strong, attacked houses in Ligoniel which was clearly orchestrated.
"What we need to see is some results out of the talking. What are they going to do about the violence? They need to take responsibility and show leadership, and not hand out the type of rhetoric which winds people up. We need leadership which is compatible with the political peace process."
