Letter: The Orange Order did not create the Drumcree dispute, it was republicans who demonised the Orange
In reply to Arnold Carton (‘If we want the Union to survive, unionism needs to focus on a different road,’ April 12, see link below) could I please take this opportunity to remind/educate people re Drumcree. It is generally overlooked that for the first two years of the dispute it was republicans who were rioting. The violence was so bad the second year that the police gave in to republicans and banned any future parades. This unfortunately lead to a violent reaction by loyalists, the third year of the dispute.
The Orange Order did not create the Drumcree dispute. As Gerry Adams boasted later it had taken years of hard work by SF activists on the ground to bring it about. This was part of a wider campaign by republicans to demonise the Orange Order. People were bussed in to Drumcree, Ormeau Rd and other areas to manufacture tension. If anyone wants to link the tragic deaths of the Quinn children to Drumcree they should blame those who created the dispute, SF.
Ian Johnston, Antrim