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CNN Sunday Morning

Annual Orange Order March Gets Under Way in Northern Ireland

Aired July 07, 2002 - 08:05   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In Northern Ireland, thousands of soldiers and police are keeping an eye on the region's most controversial Protestant parade. We cover this every year. Sometimes it's been violent; sometimes it hasn't. We're going to go to Diana Muriel. She's live in Northern Ireland with more on what the status is now -- Diana.

DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you are joining me just as the leaders of the Protestant Orange Order are marching from the church at Drumcree down toward the barricade, which the police and military have erected to prevent the march from continuing on its chosen route, back into Portadown, along the Golvaki (ph) road. That's a road which is inhabited by mostly Catholic nationalists, and it's seen as a provocative act on the part of the Protestant Orange Order to walk down that road, and that's why the parade commission have prevented them from the fifth year running from doing that.

In the past, Drumcree has been the flashpoint of violence -- in '96, in '98 and 2000. Last year, the march passed off peacefully, and it's hoped that that will be the same this year.

In a few moments, the leaders of the Orange Order will be down at the front of the barricade. They will hand over a petition of protest to the Assistant Chief Constable Steven White (ph) who is in charge of security operations here, demanding what they see as their right to walk down the Golvaki (ph) road back into Portadown. The standoff will then officially start.

Now, this could go on for several hours. In the past, it has gone on all the way through the afternoon and into the night and indeed for several days, and there has been extreme violence seen here before at Drumcree.

The police who are here are trying to maintain a much lower profile. They have erected a barricade, concrete barricade and steel gates to prevent the march from continuing, and they have got water cannon and more steel barricades that they could put in place, if necessary.

Around 2,000 police officers and soldiers are on standby. The marchers have been here for about an hour or so. They have got large banners proclaiming their cause. They've also brought with them a large banner this year saying "USA condemns terrorism," trying to align their cause with a wider war on terrorism. And they brought along two large USA flags, which they are also flying, together with the more traditional Orange Order flags and the Union Jack of Great Britain, of course. The people here taking part in this march are Unionists. They want to remain part of Great Britain, and that is part of the protest.

So we will see what happens over the next few hours. It is expected to be quiet, though -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Diana, I remember last year when this took place, and you can't help but notice just the look and sometimes the fear on the faces of the children. And I'm curious this year, are there a lot of kids and are there any sort of extra precautions taken to protect these children from being hurt? You can understand the political cause from the adult point of view, but these are just children.

MURIEL: That's right. And children are taking part in the march. They joined alongside the march just as they left Portadown, and indeed there were children down here at the barricade. One little boy, very young throwing a rock rather halfheartedly at the barricade earlier on. So yes, kids do get involved, unfortunately, on both sides of the issue here in Northern Ireland.

But it's -- the march this year, they want to maintain a more dignified approach to the march, say the leaders of the Orange Order. The main participants are, of course, members of the Orange Order lodge here at Portadown and not children, although children do take part in the band that play along with the marches -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Diana Muriel in Northern Ireland, thank you so much.

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