Apprentice Boys clubs in Lurgan, Co Armagh, have accused the Parades Commission of "contravening current legislation" by failing to provide them with written evidence of any objections received to a proposed "relief of Derry" parade due to take place in the William Street area of the town on Saturday next.
A spokesman for the Lurgan Apprentice Boys, Mr Roy Ferguson, said they had met representatives of the Parades Com mission last week to discuss next Saturday's march. The commission was asked to respond in writing to any submissions made which objected to the Apprentice Boys' parade taking place in William Street, he said.
Under current legislation, "we are entitled to receive written evidence of any objections to our parade," said Mr Ferguson. "We are also entitled to have a fair hearing, and the Parades Commission is required to act with equality and impartiality. In this instance the commission has done neither.
"We also asked the commission who was objecting to our parade, and they said it was Sinn Fein and the residents' group. However, we are well aware that the residents' group does not exist within the William Street area."
The Apprentice Boys now believe the Parades Commission was simply using the excuse of "objections within the business community in William Street, Lurgan" to ban the parade from the area completely. "Our considered opinion is that the Parades Commission's only objection to us is the fact that we are Protestant," concluded Mr Ferguson.
The commission was due to give its decision late last night on next Saturday's proposed parade. Last year the security forces prevented a "relief of Derry" parade from entering the William Street area of Lurgan following a Parades Commission ban.