Trimble urges loyalists paramilitaries to maintain ceasefire as tension grows

THE Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, called on loyalist paramilitaries not to break their ceasefire. He criticised the Chief Constable, Sir Hugh Annesley, and said his decision to prevent the parade going down the Catholic Garvaghy Road had put the peace at risk.

Speaking yesterday at Drumcree, near Portadown, he appealed to loyalist paramilitaries. "Do not allow yourselves to be manipulated into violence. Loyalists must not abandon their ceasefire no matter what the difficulties and I know the difficulties are going to be greater because of the actions of the police here.

He said any murder should be condemned and if the killing of the Catholic taxi driver was sectarian then it should be condemned unreservedly". It was, he said, "just the sort of thing we repeatedly appealed to persons who are involved in paramilitaries not to do and it is actually falling into the trap that the IRA have prepared. It underlines the criticism that we made of the chief constable for the gamble he has taken with the tranquillity and peace of this province. And it does not detract from the culpability of those who are responsible.

He said the Orange Order "is doing its best to ensure that protests are carried out without violence and I would say to all people who wish to show their support for the Orange Order that we don't want you to bring any disgrace on our colours".

Speaking of clashes between police and protesters on Sunday night, he said that "having spent over two hours last night either side of midnight in the line with our marshals with police shields pressing into my back trying to restrain the exuberance of the crowd in front of me, I tell you it's not a very pleasant experience".

On Sunday, Mr Trimble said. "I would be optimistic we will resolve this in a couple of days." Asked yesterday if he was still confident of a resolution within two days, he said he was "confident at the outcome but I wouldn't like to think I said two days".

Asked if he was afraid of the climate of tension spilling over, he said "that is the obvious risk that is being run". He questioned the motives of the chief constable "when he had resources to ensure that the parade would go home by the direct normal route with little trouble. Now who seriously thinks there would be any serious disturbance on the Garvaghy road in the light of these resources, but instead of taking that course which would have guaranteed public peace, the chief constable has acted in such a way that he has put that peace at risk".