Tens of thousands gather for homecoming parade
TENS of thousands of people have gathered in Belfast city centre for a homecoming parade for soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Sinn Fin protesters have taken part in a demonstration against the British Army's role in the Troubles.
A separate dissident republican counter parade has been stopped from marching into the centre of Belfast.
Police in riot gear blocked 200 people involved in this demonstration at the bottom of the Falls Road.
Earlier, several thousand people walked down the Shankill Road with banners welcoming the soldiers.
A DUP delegation, including NI First Minister Peter Robinson, arrive at parade
Sinn Fin's Gerry Kelly, speaking to protestors at Dunville Park in west Belfast, said the parade was a "provocative act which had split the city".
His party changed the route of its protest and told troublemakers to stay away.
A major security operation - including police on motorbikes and a police helicopter - is in place as there are a number of other parades, both for and against the event.
Earlier several thousand people have also walked down the Shankill Road, and from other area of the city, with banners welcoming the soldiers.
All parades carrying banners are marching to the city centre receiving rapturous applaunce from the crowds
Crowds of people, eight deep, are standing around the streets to support the homecoming troops.
A flag has also been erected at scaffolding at the corner of Presbyterian House. Youths are also said to have scaled the scaffolding.
A firework was thrown into the crowd by supporters of homecoming troops which received heavy condemnation.
Earlier, the RAF cancelled a planned fly-past and said soldiers at the parade would be unarmed.
Sinn Fin changed the route of its protest to try to avoid conflict and told troublemakers to stay away.
But despite the concessions made on both sides, there are still fears that some loyalists and republicans could infiltrate the peaceful protesters.
Sinn Fein said it was inappropriate to mark the homecoming because British troops were responsible for the deaths of Catholic civilians during the Troubles.
But unionists said the Army had every right to walk the streets of Belfast. They said that the changes made to the parade meant troops in Northern Ireland would receive a different welcome home than soldiers elsewhere in the UK.
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams has warned dissident republicans opposed to his party's role in Northern Ireland's devolved government not to "piggy back" on the protest.
"Anybody looking for trouble shouldn't be coming here," he said.
Politicians on all sides have appealed for demonstrators to be calm and dignified, he added.
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Weather for Belfast
Monday 28 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 25 C
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Wind direction: East
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Sunny spells
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