THE Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, said yesterday that events in Portadown have made the achievement of a peace settlement more difficult. He described the incident as a disgrace and appealed for calm.
He demanded the rerouting of the Orange march scheduled for the Lower Ormeau Road in Belfast today and appealed for support from "all right thinking people", and specifically from the Government, for the residents who oppose the march.
Asked what he thought the IRA response would be after the RUC policy reversal, he said. "For those trying to get a peace settlement it has been made more difficult."
But he added. "Where were the Stormont peace talks going last week anyway? The unionist leadership won't talk to the people of Garvaghy Road, won't talk to the SDLP or the Irish Government. I'm one of the people who wants to do a deal with David Trimble, to do a deal with Ian Paisley. They're not making it easy."
He blamed the unionist parties and the British government for yesterday's events which aroused widespread nationalist anger. "The unionists behave the way they do because the British government lets them."
He said what the Orange parades through nationalist areas were about was domination. "What possible reason can adult men have for walking into an area where they're not wanted?"
Asked if it would have been possible for the RUC to contain the situation which was developing at Drumcree, he replied. "Ask any nationalist how long they could blockade the Falls Road."
Appealing for a calm and disciplined response, he said Sinn Fein members were trying to persuade people, especially young people, not to get involved in conflicts with the police. So far, people had shown themselves to be remarkably disciplined.
"There have been deliberate attempts on behalf of the Orange marches to march through Catholic areas. You have seen it yourselves. Not one Protestant family has been evicted. Not one act of provocation has been offered.