Orange Order welcomes `peaceful' UFF support

The information officer for the Portadown District of the Orange Order, Mr David Jones, has welcomed the presence of men carrying a UFF banner and wearing UFF T-shirts at Drumcree on Monday night.

He said the order had asked anyone who wished to support them at Drumcree in a peaceful manner to do so and, as far as he was concerned, Johnny Adair and the other men wearing UFF T-shirts had done just that.

However, he said the shooting of a volley of shots at the Corcrain estate later that night, in the presence of Mr Adair and his friends, "was not helpful" to the Drumcree protest. He felt it also underlined the argument for decommissioning.

Mr Jones expressed concern about police and army tactics at Drumcree on Monday night. He was concerned about what he described as "the baton charge" which meant people further up the hill, who had not been throwing stones, risked being injured in the ensuing melee.

He alleged that women and children had been hit with truncheons and was highly critical of the police and army going into the graveyard.

He dismissed police claims that they had been attacked from the graveyard by men throwing stones and pebbles scooped from graves. "The police would say that," he said.

He queried why the police had not arrested the stone-throwers at the front rather than pushing the crowd back, and suggested the police had deliberately created a dangerous situation to dissuade people from taking part in future protests on the hill.

He said he was not aware that youths were throwing stones at police as he addressed the crowd on the hill on Monday night, which was why he had not called for them to stop.

The rector of Drumcree, Rev John Pickering, expressed concern about possible injuries to women and a children in disturbances on the hill and said "they may be in danger if there are any other disturbances".

He said he had spoken to the men in UFF T-shirts about peace on Monday night, but as it was a private conversation he could not divulge any further content. He appealed for calm and peace.

RUC Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan said Mr Pickering should have directed his appeal at those instigating the violence instead of women and children.

He said: "I think it would suit him better to appeal to troublemakers to stay away rather than women and children. From the outset we have made it clear we will facilitate lawful, peaceful, dignified protest."

Later, Mr Pickering said: "Of course, I don't want any trouble or troublemakers here. I was simply making one point about the danger women and children were in because I have seen so many women and children here over the past two nights."

Last year, letters calling for the removal of Union flags on the church tower and setting down conditions for Orangemen attending the service by church authorities were ignored. When Drumcree came up for discussion at the Church of Ireland General Synod in Belfast this year there was just one speaker and no debate.

Two Union flags are flying from Drumcree church tower at the moment, as is traditional at this time every year.