HIGH-profile figures from music, film and the arts have written a letter to the Secretary of State Chris Bryant supporting the right of Garvaghy Road residents to "live in peace, free from intimidation".

Among the signatories are Noel Gallagher from Oasis, Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon, The Smiths founder Johnny Marr, music legend Paul Weller, Suggs from Madness and Kevin Rowland from Dexys, as well as Irish actors Siobhán McSweeney and Adrian Dunbar. Signatories also include the members of Kneecap and their manager, Dan Lambert, writer Irvine Welsh, as well as director of Féile an Phobail, Kevin Gamble. 

The letter urges the Secretary of State to "work in tandem with the Irish Government to appoint an independent international mediator from outside Ireland and Britain to facilitate a robust, durable resolution".

It refers to the "fragile nature of our shared peace" and that the "hard-won peace has allowed an entire generation to grow up free from the anguish and violence of the past".

They say that it is "paramount that the residents be robustly protected from any form of forced processions that disregard their consent, safety, and right to live in peace free from intimidation," and that the Chief Constable has "warned of the potentially catastrophic consequences of attempting to force a contentious march through this community".

"We submit this appeal as individuals who have seen first hand the immense benefit that the harmony of British-Irish relations brings to these islands," they state. "Offering a powerful blueprint for what can be achieved through genuine partnership."

Concluding the letter, the signatories urge the Secretary of State to "exercise courageous political leadership at this critical juncture by looking to the international community for a neutral arbiter who can guide all sides toward a shared, peaceful future".

This latest high-profile letter of support for the residents comes after more than twenty Members of Parliament wrote to the Secretary of State, imploring him to "overturn the recent ruling of the Parade's Commission and halt the proposed Orange Order parade on the Garvaghy Road."

Sinn Féin Councillor Catherine Nelson welcomed the letter, saying that it "sends a clear message that support for the Garvaghy Road community extends far beyond this island".

She continued: “Among the signatories are some of the biggest names in music, film and the arts. Their intervention is a further indication that people across Ireland and internationally recognise the right of the Garvaghy Road community to live in peace, free from intimidation.

“The British Secretary of State must act now and stop this unwanted march. Twenty-eight years of peace in this community must be protected.

“There is no going back. Not now. Not ever.”

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