GARVAGHY ROAD RESIDENTS COALITION
Portadown
Co. Armagh, Ireland
Phone/Fax: Int.Code +44 (0)1762 392898
E-Mail Garvaghy @ aol.com
16:45 Local Time
Breandan Mac Cionnaith held a press conference at the Drumcree Community Centre at 3:00 pm. Mac Cionnaith said that shortly after the first main parade, another parade followed up to the Church. The Orangemen could be considered to already be in breach of the law because of the second parade, and because they did not follow the directive in the Commission's Report about either returning down the road they marched up on or immediately dispersing. Supporters of the Orange Order are allowed to freely move back and forth to their position at their standoff, but nationalists continue to be trapped inside their community.
Women supporters of the Orange Order are at Mahon Road Army Barracks, accompanied by the DUP Lord Mayor of Craigavon, Mervin Carrick, to deliver a letter of complaint regarding the blocking of the Orange parade. Mervin Carrick visited Portadown yesterday evening, accompanied by DUP leader Ian Paisley, who continues to agitate his supporters towards beligerant rejection of the law.
Residents' anxiety is increasing. Every barricade around the community has been constructed so as to be removed in a matter of minutes. All the vehicles are facing the residents, rather than the Orange Order, just like they did last year and in 1996. Observers and residents report that some military vehicles and saracens have pulled away from various blockades around the area. The situation is very similar to 1996, where a standoff of the Orange Order involved the batoning of nationalist people off their road while "negotiations" were taking place amongst the top church leaders in a nearby factory. That standoff concluded four days later with the RUC capitulating to the pressure and violence of the Orange Order and its supporters and resulted in the death of Michael McGoldrick (a Nationalist man, father of one toddler and expecting a second at the time). There were injuries to countless numbers of residents in the 1996 RUC onslaught.
Observers on the Garvaghy Road today who were present in 1996 have noticed that the women of the community especially, who have to bear the burden of responsibility for their families as well as caretakers for the entire community and the vast numbers of foreign visitors present in the area, are very apprehensive and weary. They are hoping that their worst fears do not materialize. The observers comment that the community, having been through this situation three years running, is extremely organized and functioning with absolute cooperation and integrity. All problems that arise are taken care of expediently and the stewards are extremely vigilant, organized and making wise and careful decisions about the care of the community during this tense time. Finally, the observers also note the similarities to 1996 in the atmosphere, military situation and news reports today and some are apprehensive themselves about what the outcome may be.
High profile visitors, including a US Congressman, a US State Senator, Canadian MP's, South African delegates and member of the British Labour Government, are all participating in the observation of the situation and trying to intervene in difficult circumstances. The rest of the International Observers are highly organized and continue to canvass the area constantly and call in reports. Everyone continues to wait and hope that they won't hear the blare of the community's emergency siren this year.