Sinn Féin leaders including Gerry Adams yesterday elaborated on why the party had direct contact with the PSNI ahead of Wednesday night's controversial Orange Order feeder parade in Ardoyne, north Belfast.
While Sinn Féin and DUP politicians yesterday spoke of a new potential for nationalist/unionist accommodation over parades based on the peaceful outcome so far this year of the "marching season", some significance was also attached to the fact that Sinn Féin liaised closely with the police.
On Wednesday night Mr Adams told The Irish Times that at Ardoyne, Sinn Féin "kept very close contact" with the PSNI to help ensure the peaceful outcome of the parade after the serious violence at the same parade in 2004 and 2005.
It is not uncommon to witness Sinn Féin figures communicating with police officers at such flashpoint scenes, notwithstanding Sinn Féin's refusal to endorse the PSNI. But what appeared notable in recent days was Sinn Féin's willingness to talk about this contact.
In a statement following on from his Wednesday night comments, Sinn Féin president Mr Adams said yesterday: "Sinn Féin also took the step of speaking with the PSNI in north Belfast before the [ Ardoyne] parade to ensure that the violent scenes of last year, when the PSNI and British troops attacked local residents, were not repeated. Our party was represented by Gerry Kelly."
Mr Kelly, at a press conference in Belfast yesterday, said: "There were a couple of meetings with senior police officers. Our intent was to de-escalate the situation, demilitarise it."
DUP MP Gregory Campbell also referred to the potential for progress based on this year's calm Twelfth.
In a statement yesterday headlined "Twelfth to herald new dawn?" he said: "Despite the minor setbacks it is just possible that July 2006 might start to change mindsets that will help in the longer-term goal of durable peace and real tolerance in Northern Ireland."
