This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/sep/05/northern-ireland-talks-belfast-violence
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Northern Ireland: envoy to meet loyalists in effort to avert riots | Northern Ireland: envoy to meet loyalists in effort to avert riots |
| (4 months later) | |
| A former secret envoy between the Irish government and the Ulster Volunteer Force is to meet with loyalist leaders later this week to help end the recent run of violence in north Belfast. | A former secret envoy between the Irish government and the Ulster Volunteer Force is to meet with loyalist leaders later this week to help end the recent run of violence in north Belfast. |
| Chris Hudson, the one-time mediator between Dublin and the UVF leading up to the terror group's 1994 ceasefire, is to hold talks in Northern Ireland aimed at defusing tensions within the loyalist movement. | Chris Hudson, the one-time mediator between Dublin and the UVF leading up to the terror group's 1994 ceasefire, is to hold talks in Northern Ireland aimed at defusing tensions within the loyalist movement. |
| Rank and file UVF members have taken part in three days of violence at the Carlisle Circus-Lower Antrim Road sectarian interface since Sunday. Around 62 police officers have been injured in the riots sparked by a row over a republican parade in the area on Sunday afternoon. Loyalist rioters were behind most of the injuries the police sustained in the trouble. | Rank and file UVF members have taken part in three days of violence at the Carlisle Circus-Lower Antrim Road sectarian interface since Sunday. Around 62 police officers have been injured in the riots sparked by a row over a republican parade in the area on Sunday afternoon. Loyalist rioters were behind most of the injuries the police sustained in the trouble. |
| The Dublin trade unionist turned unitarian minister Hudson will hold discussions with UVF leaders later this week. Hudson has been a trusted go-between for the Irish government and the UVF since 1993 when he got involved in a covert back-channel between Dublin and the loyalist paramilitaries. He was awarded a series of international peace prizes and an MBE for his work in building links between the Republic and the loyalists. | The Dublin trade unionist turned unitarian minister Hudson will hold discussions with UVF leaders later this week. Hudson has been a trusted go-between for the Irish government and the UVF since 1993 when he got involved in a covert back-channel between Dublin and the loyalist paramilitaries. He was awarded a series of international peace prizes and an MBE for his work in building links between the Republic and the loyalists. |
| Hudson declined to go into detail about the latest talks but confirmed to the Guardian there would be discussions with the UVF in relation to the recent violence: "I want to help in any way I can to help everyone including the UVF pull back from the brink. I seriously believe there is a willingness among the loyalists to defuse sectarian tensions." | Hudson declined to go into detail about the latest talks but confirmed to the Guardian there would be discussions with the UVF in relation to the recent violence: "I want to help in any way I can to help everyone including the UVF pull back from the brink. I seriously believe there is a willingness among the loyalists to defuse sectarian tensions." |
| He said he would be travelling to Belfast later this week to meet his UVF contacts and explore ways of ending the violence. | He said he would be travelling to Belfast later this week to meet his UVF contacts and explore ways of ending the violence. |
| Within the UVF Hudson is regarded as a trustworthy point of contact with both the Irish and British governments, and republicans. | Within the UVF Hudson is regarded as a trustworthy point of contact with both the Irish and British governments, and republicans. |
| The peace campaigner added: "I accept what the police are saying that the UVF is not orchestrating this but there are foot soldiers getting involved in the violence. Those of us who are in positions of responsibility should be careful about the language we use in order not to raise the tensions in the area." | The peace campaigner added: "I accept what the police are saying that the UVF is not orchestrating this but there are foot soldiers getting involved in the violence. Those of us who are in positions of responsibility should be careful about the language we use in order not to raise the tensions in the area." |
| Earlier Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness, Northern Ireland's first and deputy first ministers, united to condemn the violence in north Belfast but to also urge dialogue on all sides. | Earlier Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness, Northern Ireland's first and deputy first ministers, united to condemn the violence in north Belfast but to also urge dialogue on all sides. |
| Robinson denied he had avoided commenting on the violence and destruction stressing he simply wanted to avoid saying anything that could raise further tensions. The first minister said he was impressed that Catholic residents in the Carrick Hill area of the city had not demanded that Orange Order and other loyalist parades be re-routed away from St Patrick's chapel. | Robinson denied he had avoided commenting on the violence and destruction stressing he simply wanted to avoid saying anything that could raise further tensions. The first minister said he was impressed that Catholic residents in the Carrick Hill area of the city had not demanded that Orange Order and other loyalist parades be re-routed away from St Patrick's chapel. |
| The Catholic church in Belfast's Donegall Street was turned into a contentious parade route in July when loyalist bandsmen were captured playing a sectarian song outside its doors. | The Catholic church in Belfast's Donegall Street was turned into a contentious parade route in July when loyalist bandsmen were captured playing a sectarian song outside its doors. |
| A large number of loyalist bands and their supporters are scheduled to file past the church again on 29 September when thousands gather in the city to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Ulster Covenant opposing Home Rule. There are fears this event could degenerate into a major sectarian confrontation close to Belfast city centre. | A large number of loyalist bands and their supporters are scheduled to file past the church again on 29 September when thousands gather in the city to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Ulster Covenant opposing Home Rule. There are fears this event could degenerate into a major sectarian confrontation close to Belfast city centre. |
| The deputy first minister described the scenes over the last 72 hours in north Belfast as "deplorable, disgraceful and shameful". | The deputy first minister described the scenes over the last 72 hours in north Belfast as "deplorable, disgraceful and shameful". |
| McGuinness added: "This is a time for leadership. This is a time for people to stand together against violence and particularly for the Loyal Orders to show leadership, and I think there's been a distinct lack of leadership from them over the course of recent times." | McGuinness added: "This is a time for leadership. This is a time for people to stand together against violence and particularly for the Loyal Orders to show leadership, and I think there's been a distinct lack of leadership from them over the course of recent times." |
| The Sinn Fein MP said that while he had disagreements in the past with the body that adjudicates on contentious cultural and political marches, the Parades Commission, it was "incumbent upon everybody, the loyal orders, politicians of all descriptions, to stand by the rule of law". | The Sinn Fein MP said that while he had disagreements in the past with the body that adjudicates on contentious cultural and political marches, the Parades Commission, it was "incumbent upon everybody, the loyal orders, politicians of all descriptions, to stand by the rule of law". |
| Police were pelted with fireworks and bricks in the Carlisle Circus area in the north of Belfast on Tuesday night, although the trouble was not on the scale of rioting that left more than 60 officers injured over the two previous evenings. | Police were pelted with fireworks and bricks in the Carlisle Circus area in the north of Belfast on Tuesday night, although the trouble was not on the scale of rioting that left more than 60 officers injured over the two previous evenings. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |