Letter: Feelings are running high but look after one another amid Drumcree dispute
A letter from Julie Flaherty:
It has been an intense and difficult time for Portadown. A Parades Commission determination set the conditions for a limited silent walk. These conditions are the law. They apply to everyone.
I understand that feelings are running high. People are anxious and those feelings are very real. Our duty is to keep this town safe.
My ask to Sinn Féin and to those who are preventing the walk is simple: show leadership, abide by the rule of law, and respect the determination of the Parades Commission. For those in my own community, I would ask that you continue to show restraint and remain calm. Give the Portadown District stewards the space to do a hard job well.
People in this town hold deep and different views about Drumcree. We do not have to agree. We do have to live here when the cameras leave. What happens on these streets will not stay on these streets, and how it is handled will be felt across Northern Ireland.
This is our town. These are our people, on every road. UUP colleagues and I want Portadown to come through this peaceful, lawful, and still able to look itself in the eye tomorrow. Please look after one another.
Julie Flaherty, UUP councillor