NATIONALIST residents’ groups who were formed at the height of tensions surrounding Orange Order parades through Catholic areas in the late 1990s are meeting with Garvaghy Road residents later today.
The residents' groups from North and West Belfast are to meet with the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition members in Portadown to show their solidarity with them and to discuss their concerns about how the Garvaghy Road situation could 'unravel' and impact on other contentious parades.
Groups include Springfield Residents' Action Group in West Belfast, Crumlin Ardoyne Residents' Association from North Belfast and Lower Ormeau Concerned Community from the south of the city, as well as other residents' groups from across the North, including those in Derry, Maghera and Castlederg.
The meeting is set to take place at 3pm at Drumcree Community Centre and comes as the Court of Appeal has reserved judgement in a bid by Garvaghy Road residents to challenge the Parades Commission decision to allow Portadown District Lodge's parade to proceed from Drumcree Church onto Garvaghy Road. For over a week Garvaghy Road residents and their supporters have prevented the Orange Order march passing nationalist homes.
Earlier this month the same residents' groups signed a letter expressing their concerns ahead of the Parades Commission approving the Orange Order march down the Garvaghy Road, stating that any decision could impact on their own communities.
"Our concern is that such accommodations could unravel if the Orange Order continue to insist on parading down Garvaghy Road, or indeed pursue the same demands in other nationalist/Catholic areas," the letter stated.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday's meeting Gerard Rice from Lower Ormeau Concerned Community said: "The Ormeau Road and the Garvaghy Road has always been inextricably linked in that it is known what both our communities have had to go through over the years and how these parades have often compounded the hurt of families who have lost loved ones.
"The two areas have been completely shocked at this decision by the Parades Commission and view it as a major setback to community relations. Many people thought we were past all this and have moved on. I would say many in the Orange Order community felt the same.
"People on the Ormeau Road are watching Portadown closely. The issue around parading has largely been put to bed for many years now.
"Today we will show our solidarity and support to Garavaghy Road residents. The message of no going back is not lost on the Ormeau Road.
"The Parades Commission have failed to explain how they changed 28 years of decisions following a clerical blunder on their behalf that embarrassed them before the courts. This led to the world being turned on its head for the people of the Garvaghy Road."
Seán Murray, from Springfield Residents' Action Group, added: "Today is a follow-up from the letter with all 12 residents' groups across the North coming together to strategise in relation to how we can help and assist the Garvaghy Road residents in removing this threat which still hangs over them.
"We want to put pressure on the Chief Constable and Secretary of State who have the power to bring this to an end and remove that threat. The bottom line is there is no Orange march going down Garvaghy Road.
"Residents' groups, including ourselves, have invested a lot of time and effort in reaching accommodations over the years. Our concern is that all these could unravel if this situation is not addressed quickly.
"The last thing we want is for all these scenarios to open up again if a march is forced down Garvaghy Road."
