Republican nationalists from Garvaghy road try to attack Protestant children

"To see more go to the links below and see the result of the riot as well as the rioters"

British Security minister Adam Ingram revealed that 57 Royal Ulster Constabulary officers were hurt in ''vicious'' clashes with nationalists in Portadown, Co Armagh, following a loyalist parade nearby. As fears heightened that the trouble on the flashpoint Garvaghy Road could signal a summer of unrest, republicans claimed it had been provoked and hit out at the firing of at least a dozen plastic bullets by police.

The parade was heavily policed, with military back-up and a large metal barrier placed across the road.

But Mr Ingram said:''A mob that attacks with paving stones, petrol and acid bombs is not engaged in anything that can be remotely called legitimate protest.''

The nationalists' use petrol bombs', acid bombs, broken kerb stones, fireworks, bottles and ball bearings fired by catapult as well as golf balls to attack the security forces as they tried to attack the young Protestant children. The nationalists had obviously planned this attack on the security forces in advance as they knew they would be in the area to protect the Junior Orange members.

The RUC officers suffered injuries ranging from bruising to broken limbs. As the RUC formed a defensive line across the main arterial route into Portadown when they were trying to withdraw from the area a car was set on fire and rolled down the hill towards the RUC officers by nationalists

The nationalists' started to riot in Portadown after Parkmount Junior LOL 150 had just completed their parade. As the police and troops were withdrawing, bottles started to be hurled up in the air in the direction of the Junior Orange lodge members whose ages ranged from 6 years to 14 years old. Catapults were used to pelt missiles at security forces and there was even hand-to-hand fighting between troublemakers and security forces.

A leading RUC officer called Stephen White told the Newsletter (28-05-2001) "the Orange marchers behaved as they were expected to do. They marched up, played the national anthem and then marched out" of the area back towards Shillington's bridge as quickly as they could to avoid injury to the junior members.

The RUC fired six plastic baton rounds in a bid to disperse the rioters'. Mr White said "it is regrettable that, due to the extent of the violence, police had no other option but to resort to the use of plastic baton rounds. This was proportional and justified given the extent and the severity of the attacks."

Assistant Chief Constable Stephen White condemned the attack which erupted after the parade involving 20 people, including children of primary school age, had passed peacefully.

Stephen White said, "the parade was in the public domain, both the Orange Order and the Garvaghy road residents had made submissions about it so people knew the march was happening. It was a cowardly attack and was like hitting a man when his back was turned. There were about 20 people on the parade - eleven young children of primary school age, their parents and some leading members of the Order."

RUC casualties suffered a range of injuries over two hours of trouble including broken bones and one remained in hospital today.

The RUC backed by the British Army had no choice but to use plastic bullets as the rioters' tried to break their legs with paving slabs'.

Craigavon Deputy major Mark Neale said the the premeditated attack could not be justified or explained away by any reasonable politician. The DUP's Mervyn Carrick a former Mayor of Craigavon, criticised the violence and the high number of RUC casualties. He called the riot "a tactical ploy by nationalists to put pressure in next year's march".

Parkmount JLOL 150 were given permission by the Parades Commission to parade from Parkmount and back on their return from Bangor. But when Parades Commission decision goes against the nationalists residents' backed by Sinn Fein IRA, they always resort to violence as they force the very mouldable British Government into giving concessions to them or the result will be more violence in other areas such as Belfast and Londonderry. Violent groups of vigilantes must not be allowed to control the Queen's highway as no group of residents' should be allowed to dictate who can or cannot travel along a road even an arterial road bordering houses' were they live. It is time the Government stood up to the people of violence and back the people who are law abiding citizens.

See related links below

Click here to see the news of the attack on Portadown District's website

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