A Sinn Féin councillor has praised unionist community leaders in east Belfast for helping to diffuse tensions surrounding an Apprentice Boys parade which passed the nationalist Short Strand area. Joe O'Donnell was speaking after Saturday's parade passed off without incident.
Police and British soldiers mounted a major security operation as thousands of Apprentice Boys paraded past the predominantly Catholic area.
The Parades Commission had originally imposed restrictions on the march after it was proposed that it should pass Short Strand three times. But on Friday night the commission gave permission for the march to go ahead after organisers agreed a new route along the Albertbridge Road, which meant the parade only passed Short Strand once.
Mr O'Donnell said that while questions needed to be asked about why the Apprentice Boys wanted to march past the Catholic area three times, he nonetheless welcomed work done by unionist politicians and church leaders to diffuse tensions.
"I thank everyone, nationalist and unionists, who worked to keep things peaceful over the weekend.
"But I would ask why the Apprentice Boys, when there are up to 90,000 unionists living in greater east Belfast, feel the need to march past a nationalist area three times.
"You would assume that most people in east Belfast would profess loyalty to the Queen, yet the majority of them didn't get to see this parade because organisers seemed more interested in marching past Catholics in the Short Strand."
Mr O'Donnell praised behind-the-scenes efforts of unionist and nationalist community workers, who he said had worked hard to avert potential violence.
"I know many unionists disagreed with this parade," he said.
"There was no history or tradition to this march and there was certainly no justification for it. The people of Short Strand showed tremendous dignity in refusing to be riled by this coat-trailing exercise.
Mr O'Donnell said he hoped contacts between nationalist and unionists could help to ensure that interfaces areas remained peaceful during the summer months.
"Everyone living along interfaces in Belfast, deserve a quiet summer and I hope that people working together will make that a reality."
However, Apprentice Boys spokesman Tommy Cheevers said that the relationship between the order and the Parades Commission was now at an all-time low.
"The Parades Commission has made a complete mess of east Belfast," he said.
"They totally misjudged the mood in east Belfast and are out of touch with things. The commission said that it had consulted widely with the people of east Belfast before they imposed restrictions on our original route, but they had not.
"They said there was a threat of public disorder but that certainly didn't come from the Apprentice Boys or the people of east Belfast."
Mr Cheevers added: "The commission asked us for guarantees that there would not be any more parades in east Belfast this year or next year.
"That was totally illegal and outside the commission's own guidelines. They have no chance of any guarantees
"The commission's own guidelines state that each parade should be judged on its own merits and not played off against each other.
"The local clubs will still be applying to march through east Belfast on their way to Londonderry in August.
"The commission has done so much damage to its relationship with the Apprentice Boys, that it is hard to see a way back now."
