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(Issued to Antrim Times, Antrim Guardian and
Mid-Ulster Mail) |
For sometime now there has existed a feeling of
disillusionment and revulsion among the member bands of the Ulster Bands
Association with regards to the continuing and increasingly vicious
sectarian attacks on their buses as they merely travel to or from parades.
Regrettably these orchestrated attacks have regrettably become more
frequent and violent in the last few months. While the recent attacks on
three buses in Strabane on Friday 5 May did receive publicity, other
similar incidents since haven't.
Last Saturday evening saw another worrying development when three of our
member bands were refused permission to travel through Toomebridge.
Unbelievably, two of the bands had to travel from Omagh through Dungannon,
on to the Moira roundabout before heading north for a parade in Ballymena.
The third from Magherafelt were taken the whole way up to Kilrea before
travelling through Rasharkin to Ballymena. In both instances the most
direct route available would have been through Toomebridge.
Naturally we identify with the concern of Ulsterbus have for the safety of
their property and drivers especially as many of our members have, in the
past, taken the brunt of previous sectarian attacks. In spite of this, we
ask, why should anyone have to endure an extra 45 minutes to an hour on a
bus or pay additional money for the hire of the bus because of a minority
of thugs blinded by bigotry?
The reason why buses are refused the right to travel through Toomebridge
therefore lies solely with the people who would seek to inflict damage to
the buses or injury to our members.
We welcome the assurance from the RUC that they will uphold their policy
plan for Northern Ireland 1999-2000, in which they state they shall
'protect, reassure and assist those whom we serve', however we sincerely
hope their assistance will not be required. The Belfast Agreement affirms
that everyone in the community has 'the right to freedom from sectarian
harassment'.
Most political parties including nationalist and republican
representatives from the Mid-Ulster area signed up to this. Surely the
menace of violence that denies our members the right to travel through
Toomebridge constitutes sectarian harassment?
Furthermore, is this type of discrimination a foretaste of what has been
described as the new political dispensation? In closing, the Ulster Bands
Association agrees that everyone should have the freedom to express their
culture. We merely want to be given the same courtesy and respect.
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