SDLP, DUP to discuss loyalist church pickets

THE Democratic Unionist Party's justice spokesman, Mr Ian Paisley jnr, and Mr Sean Farren of the SDLP are to meet to discuss the loyalist picketing of three Catholic churches in the North at the weekend.

Condemnation of the protests has continued and the Northern Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, said: "It is unjust, it is wrong and it must stop." He said he read about the protests with great anger.

"Any sort of discrimination, whether it is of that kind, whether it is against traders - or Catholic - only serves to make the situation worse.".

The protests in Ballymena Co Antrim, where people were prevented from attending Mass, and in two nearby villages, where Mass goers were subjected to verbal abuse, were in retaliation for the halting by nationalist objectors of an Orange parade to a church service in Dunloy a week earlier.

Among those who condemned the protests was the president of the Methodist Church, the Rev Kenneth Best. He said: "The upholding of civil and religious liberty must be allowed for all citizens, not least at this critical time for community relations. We encourage all organisations and individuals to work for the healing and reconciliation of our community."

The Orange Order has already condemned the protests and the Grand Master, the Rev Martin Smyth, said he had no difficulty in calling for no repeat of the protests next weekend.

Mr Paisley said he would not condemn the protests. They were inevitable and showed the Protestant community's frustration at the events of the summer and at being prevented by nationalists from parading to their own churches.

"You can only peck a community in the eye so often before they kick you in the ankle.".

Mr Paisley agreed, however, to meet Mr Farren to discuss the issue.

Speaking at Stormont yesterday, Mr Farren said the protests were a sign of the deeper malaise that existed between the two communities. Whatever the degree of anger that had been generated, it was important that people should sit down and discuss the issues.

However, Sinn Fein and the Irish Republican Socialist Party criticised the DUP, accusing the party of orchestrating the protests.

A Sinn Fein councillor, Mr James McCarry, described Mr Paisley's remarks as "bigotry at its worst". He added that "nationalists in Dunloy have never prevented Protestants attending weekly religious services in the village. What nationalists in Dunloy took issue with were sectarian marches which people found objectionable."

The IRSP spokesman, Mr Kevin McQuillan, described as "unmitigated gall" Mr Paisley's statement "that he is willing to negotiate the right of Catholics to attend their Mass".