THE Orange Order has "utterly condemned" weekend loyalist protests outside Catholic churches in Co Antrim which in one instance prevented parishioners in Ballymena from attending Saturday evening Mass.
The demonstrations were unprecedented in recent times in Northern Ireland and were condemned from many quarters.
Nationalist politicians, Catholic and Protestant church leaders, the RUC and the Orange Order in Co Antrim condemned loyalists who picketed Catholic churches in the mainly Protestant towns of Bushmills, Dervock and Ballymena on Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Mr David McAllister, a DUP councillor who took part in the Bushmills protest on Saturday evening, urged larger crowds of loyalists to picket Catholic churches during Masses next weekend. He said that the protests were being staged because Protestants were being denied their civil and religious liberties.
On Saturday evening, about 60 loyalists, led by Mr McAllister, picketed the small Catholic church in Bushmills. Parishioners were taunted as they entered the church. Mr McAllister said that he expected the protest campaign to grow and to continue until the loyal orders were allowed to parade where they wanted.
The Orange Order protest at Dunloy the previous Sunday where Orangemen had been prevented by police from marching in the mainly nationalist town was the main spark for the weekend protests.
The worst of the incidents occurred in Ballymena on Saturday evening, when about 400 loyalists prevented Catholics from attending 6 p.m. Mass at Our Lady's Church in the mainly Protestant Harryville area of the town.
Only about six parishioners managed to get past protesters and into the church, where Father Frank Mullen, whose home was attacked by loyalists in July during the Drumcree crisis, proceeded with the Mass. "I am sad that we are living in a state where this goes on," he said. "Where do you start at reconciliation?"
A local SDLP councillor, Mr Declan O'Loan, was also prevented from entering the church by the large crowd. He said that some of the protesters had shouted abuse at himself and his wife, while one man had jumped on to the bonnet of his car. "I am in no doubt that this was carefully orchestrated, said Mr O Loan.
It was reprehensible and unprecedented. This was not a peaceful protest."
A group of about 20 loyalists, at least one of them wearing an Orange Order collarette, demonstrated outside the Catholic church in Dervock yesterday morning. One of the protesters jostled and pushed the SDLP representative for north Antrim, Mr Sean Farren, as he entered the church.
"This is sheer sectarianism at its worst. Singling out small isolated communities for this kind of sectarian harassment in no way contributes to a solution to our community problems," said Mr Farren. Politicians needed to work together to stem this sectarian poison," he added.
Mr Ian Paisleyjnr, of the DUP, said that the demonstrations at the churches reflected the frustration and fear that Protestants felt at the "bigotry" which had been directed towards them during the marching season. Tolerance and mutual recognition of people's rights might be a way around the problem, he said, adding that he would meet Mr Farren to discuss the issue.
Mr Oliver McMullan, an independent nationalist councillor, said that the demonstrations had nothing to do with the marching season. He believed that they were motivated by bigotry and called on unionist leaders to condemn them.
The Co Antrim Grand Orange Lodge yesterday condemned the protests. In a statement, the county grand master, Mr Robert McIlroy, said that the lodge was "committed to the principle of civil and religious liberty for everyone". He added: "The lodge utterly condemns the demonstrations outside Roman Catholic chapels and calls for mutual tolerance in our divided society."
The Catholic Bishop of Down and Connor, Dr Patrick Walsh, described the demonstrations as cases of "deplorable intimidation which were part of the many ugly features of life in our society at present - harassment, intimidation, boycotts, violent protests".
In Ballymena, the RUC deputy divisional commander, Supt Eric McMullan, said: "I utterly condemn any behaviour which seeks to interfere with persons attending their place of worship."
A Presbyterian minister in Ballymena, the Rev David Henry, said that it was unacceptable to prevent people going to worship. These bully boy tactics to stop people going to church are quite ridiculous. We shout about civil and religious liberty . . . We want it, but we won't give it," he added.
