Security concerns have compelled President Mary McAleese to cancel a visit to the Shankill in Belfast today. The President, however, plans to proceed with a visit to a primary school in a loyalist area of south Belfast this morning.
Serious rioting in north Belfast in recent days close to the Shankill area, together with mounting concerns about Saturday's postponed Orange Order Whiterock parade from the Shankill on to the nationalist Springfield Road, are understood to be the main current factors behind the cancellation.
The President's remarks in January appearing to compare Nazi treatment of the Jews with how some Protestant parents instilled anti-Catholic feelings in their children also continues to arouse unionist anger and hostility, notwithstanding her apology for these comments.
Mrs McAleese is also meeting PSNI Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde at police headquarters in Belfast this morning, an encounter that has raised the ire of DUP Assembly member Ian Paisley jnr.
The President was due to be greeted by children from Edenbrooke primary school on the Shankill Road today. Instead she will meet some of them at the Wellington Park Hotel in south Belfast this morning. Some parents, however, have made it clear to the school that they will not allow their children meet the President because of their continuing annoyance about her "Nazi" remarks.
"Following advice regarding the current security situation in the north Belfast area, it has been decided that President McAleese will meet with pupils, parents and staff of Edenbrooke primary school at the Wellington Park Hotel," explained a spokeswoman for the President.
Orange Order members and their supporters staged a number of demonstrations on roads in north and west Belfast yesterday morning and evening, protesting at the Parades Commission ruling banning Orangemen from parading onto the Springfield Road to their hall at Whiterock through Workman Avenue on Saturday.
They can parade on to the Springfield Road through an alternative link road but Orangemen say this is unacceptable. The protests closed a number of roads at morning and evening rush hours in Belfast yesterday, disrupting traffic, and further highlighting how President McAleese would have been arriving at a very difficult time.
DUP Assembly member Diane Dodds said a visit to the school would be extremely "ill judged" at this time, when there was so much tension in loyalist areas of west and north Belfast.
"People in the greater Shankill were incensed at the prospect of Mary McAleese being able to freely roam around the area while at the same time the civil and religious liberties of the Whiterock Orange brethren have been completely disregarded.
"Such a prospect has helped fuel tension in the area," she added.
President McAleese is this morning due to visit Taughmonagh primary school in a loyalist area of south Belfast. At the time of writing there were no protests over this visit. This could relate to the fact that the head of the UDA in south Belfast is Jackie McDonald, who has met Mrs McAleese a number of times as part of the President's efforts to reach out to loyalism, and who may have used his influence to try to prevent trouble.
Among today's engagements is a visit with Sir Hugh, notwithstanding a complaint by Ian Paisley jnr, who said the encounter would be highly political. He said the meeting was "choreographed to help the IRA at a time when their statement has fallen on deaf ears".
Sinn Féin MP Martin McGuinness said he was "disappointed" that an opportunity to build bridges was lost by the cancellation of the Shankill element of today's visit.
SDLP North Belfast MLA Alban Maginness said the decision to cancel the visit to the Shankill "was unfortunate, but probably wise under the circumstances".
