RESIDENTS of the Lower Ormeau Road have applied to hold a counter-protest during a planned Apprentice Boys parade down the road on 7 November.
The Belfast Walker Club (Apprentice Boys) have applied for a march to bring one band and eighty supporters along the highly contentious parade route. The march is scheduled to begin at 9.30am at Ballynafeigh Orange Hall, make its way along the Ormeau Road, and arrive at Donegall Pass at 10.00am.
The application is due to be considered by the Parades Commission on Wednesday.
The Lower Ormeau Concerned Community have applied to hold a protest along the route, scheduled to begin at 7.30am and end at 10.30am. The residents' application on the Parades Commission website is listed as having 1,500 participants.
The residents' application will also be heard on the 28 October.
The application by the Apprentice Boys comes in the wake of the latest standoff on the Garvaghy Road, and after the Drumcree march was banned by Secretary of State Chris Bryant.
The Sean Graham massacre's memorial has been vandalised twice in recent months, in attacks linked to increased tensions around parading by local community and political representatives.
Five people were murdered by UDA/UFF gunmen in the bookmakers in February 1992, and when an Orange parade passed the murder scene in July of that year, marchers taunted local residents by shouting pro-UDA slogans and holding five fingers in the air.
Gerard Rice from the Lower Ormeau Concerned Community said that the residents were reluctant to submit the application.
"This is the first application for a counter protest we've had to submit in twenty-five years," he said.
"The main reason for that is not because we have seen any sort of difference in approach in relation to the Loyal Orders, but the unknown at the minute seems to be the Parades Commission itself."
Mr Rice said that residents hope the Parades Commission "see sense" and that there is "no need for a counter-demonstration".
"We've made clear to the Parades Commission that in the event the parade is routed as normal, then there will be no demonstration.
"We have equally made clear to the Commission that should we get a decision like Garvaghy Road did then we will be peacefully demonstrating on the Ormeau Road in opposition to it."
Mr Rice said there was "huge concern" amongst residents and that people "thought these days were gone" and see recent events as a "backwards step". He said that there has been an increase in tensions across South Belfast, referencing the removal of flags erected to support St Brigid's ahead of their recent county football final.
"The Ormeau Road regrettably doesn't get much of a break, particularly when it comes to how people celebrate things and how people tend to try and tread on the grief of others.
"We would hope that there is relief for everybody. We see things moving on as they have been for the last twenty-five years. If the Parades Commission seek to force a parade through the community, the community will be opposing that parade."
