I AM simply appalled by Sinn Fein's decision to organise a large protest parade for the very same day as the welcome home parade in Belfast for the troops coming from Afghanistan and Iraq.
No one would want to deny republicans the right to make a peaceful protest, but not at the same time as the parade publicised several weeks ago.
By attempting to rival the Army parade, the Sinn Fein organisers are showing themselves up in their tr
ue colours – as the spiteful, bigoted party members we all know them to be.
I understand that large numbers of dissident republicans intend to join in and are being bussed into the city from various parts of the country.
Surely they aren't going to be allowed to turn up, armed with posters and tricolours in order to taunt both our troops and the spectators watching the parade.
I agree totally with the First Minister, who has warned the Parades Commission of the likelihood of trouble breaking out. Republicans well know that the use of intimidatory tactics may well deter many people from coming into the city centre with children.
I would suggest that large contingents of PSNI officers should be on hand to remove flags, etc from the buses and show the same determination as the PSNI officers who prevented the elephant 'procession' through the streets of Bangor, because the necessary permission to do so had not been sought.
Wilfred Breen
Omagh
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