The Orange Order has called for more protests over parades in north Belfast. They have been denied to march through a catholic neighbour hood to celebrate a religious war and victory of Catholics in 1690. The Catholics do not want anti-catholic tunes to be played in their area so the march has been restricted. Protestants see it as their god given right to march down any road they want with disregard for anyone living there. The call was made as around 500 people attended a peaceful demonstration on the Woodvale Road on Saturday afternoon. Marchers and protestors stopped at police lines in accordance with restrictions imposed by the Parades Commission. The three Ligoniel Lodges had applied to march along the part of the route they were banned from on 12 July, which goes past the Ardoyne shop fronts. An earlier application for a morning parade was also rejected. Addressing the crowd, William Mawhinney of the Orange Order said: "When the time is right we will probably upscale our protests and that's just what we intend to do, upscale them right up until civil disobedience if that's what it takes." North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds, who attended the event alongside DUP party colleagues William Humphrey and Nelson McCausland said any protests should be "peaceful" and "within the law". He continued: "I think people are angry and frustrated at the denial of human rights at the bizarre and irrational decision of the Parades Commission and people will decide in the fullness of time how the protest should be maintained." Earlier this year violence erupted as loyalists clashed with police who enforced a Parades Commission ban on Orangemen walking part of the Crumlin Road on the Twelfth. Bands had hoped to march the rest of the route at 9am on Saturday morning, but this was rejected by the commission. A further request to march in the afternoon was also rejected. The application for the morning march was put forward after the Orange Order announced negotiations with residents, as part of what it calls the Twaddell Initiative, will only start after Orangemen complete their return parade past the Ardoyne shops. The Parades Commission said that it was disappointed the lodges had not commenced dialogue with involved parties. It reaffirmed its call for "sincere and sustained" dialogue as the best route map to resolve parading issues at Ardoyne. Meanwhile it has been announced that a new Parades Commission panel is to be appointed. The term of the current members is due to end in December and the Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers, is seeking five replacements. Loyalist protestors, who have been camped out at Twaddell Avenue since the summer, said the changes to the commission's current line-up are a "positive step". They continued: "When the campaign started over 80 days ago many mocked our ability to achieve our goals and maintain our peaceful protests. They were wrong. The United Orange family looks forward with renewed optimism to a fair and equitable resolution to the Crumlin Road impasse and the completion of this year's 12 July parade to Ligoneil Orange Hall." The Orange Order said it will "shed no tears" at the replacement of the Parades Commission. It said: "By engaging positively in the Haass talks, the Orange Institution remains committed to finding a replacement to the Parades Commission. Parading policy and legislation must be based on civil and religious liberties for all and special privileges for none."

• published: 06 Oct 2013
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