Tom Griffin (London, OK): Ever since the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, Northern Ireland's peace settlement has been based on the idea of parity of esteem between unionists and nationalists. It's a principle which has often sat uncomfortably alongside the reality that the institutions of one community are also those of the state.
The dilemma is well illustrated by the latest parade controversy which concerns, not the Orange Order or the Royal Black Preceptory, but a regiment of the British Army.
The Royal Irish Regiment is due to hold a homecoming parade for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. A Sinn Fein counter-demonstration is also planned.
Gordon Brown has backed the parade, telling the Commons: "the troops in our armed forces deserve the support of every community from which they come. Where there have been parades in the different cities and towns of this country, not only have they been peaceful but large numbers of people have turned out because they want to give support to our troops and show them that they have the confidence of the British people. I want that to be a feature of our life in every part of the United Kingdom for many years to come."
In contrast Gerry Adams has expressed his "serious concern at the failure of British Secretary of State Shaun Woodward to recognise the provocation offered by the British Army military parade in Belfast City centre".
An equally sharp division of views is evident among the commentators. Brian Feeney of the Irish News argues that "major cities across Britain have deemed it too controversial to have parades and the soldiers really are ‘their’ soldiers instead of being identified with one community." On the other hand, Alex Kane of the Belfast Newsletter suggests that Sinn Fein's "approach to next Sunday's Homecoming Parade is calibrated to no higher purpose than that of offending the pro-Union community."
One thing most would agree on. The row will do nothing to help resolve the ongoing crisis in Northern Ireland's devolved executive.
Update: Patrick Corrigan points us to Belfast and Beyond's take on the weekend's events.
o'neill (not verified) said:
Mon, 2008-11-03 06:15"SF should be ashamed of itself. This is a day for today's British army, not the one of the past."
In a democracy they have the right to protest as long as if they remain within the law and quite often (as in this case) allowing them to exercise that right can have indirect beneficial effects for the wider community.
Despite all the hype they only managed to pull a couple of thousand onto the streets- there were also more than a few Dublin and ROI accents in evidence, their waning power to mobilise their communal powerbase was all too evident. In contrast well over 30,000 cheered the RIR home and apart from one or two minor isolated incidents, it was a peaceful and enjoyable day out for the vast majority. But this whole episode has proven that the Executive is far, far away from being able to be trusted to operate "policing and justice" devolved from Westminster- the likes of Gerry Kelly were proving once again, but this time to a much wider audience, that they are mere-rabble rousers, not the statesmen they would like to paint themselves to be.