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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| DUP councillor Ruth Patterson apologises for parade comments | DUP councillor Ruth Patterson apologises for parade comments |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A DUP councillor has apologised for comments she made about a planned republican parade in County Tyrone. | A DUP councillor has apologised for comments she made about a planned republican parade in County Tyrone. |
| Ruth Patterson said she was guilty of "a lapse of judgement". | Ruth Patterson said she was guilty of "a lapse of judgement". |
| In a conversation on Facebook, she had responded to someone else's post about an imaginary attack on the parade in Castlederg in which several people including Sinn Féin figures are killed. | In a conversation on Facebook, she had responded to someone else's post about an imaginary attack on the parade in Castlederg in which several people including Sinn Féin figures are killed. |
| She had said: "We would have done a great service to Northern Ireland and the world." | She had said: "We would have done a great service to Northern Ireland and the world." |
| In her apology, Mrs Patterson said her comments were "completely incompatible with the polices of the Democratic Unionist Party and what is expected of me as an elected representative. | In her apology, Mrs Patterson said her comments were "completely incompatible with the polices of the Democratic Unionist Party and what is expected of me as an elected representative. |
| "I recognise that my careless comments fall short of the standards expected of anyone holding a responsible post. I deeply and sincerely apologise." | "I recognise that my careless comments fall short of the standards expected of anyone holding a responsible post. I deeply and sincerely apologise." |
| A DUP spokesman said the party officers would "be looking at the issue but taking into account councillor Patterson's apology". | |
| The Facebook page has been deleted. | The Facebook page has been deleted. |
| The Castlederg parade, planned for 11 August, commemorates Tyrone's republican dead, including two IRA members killed by their own bomb in 1973. The march is backed by Sinn Féin. | |
| The party has offered to re-route the parade away from the town's war memorial and Methodist church. | The party has offered to re-route the parade away from the town's war memorial and Methodist church. |
| However, unionists have described the parade as "grossly insensitive" and say it should not be allowed to go ahead. | However, unionists have described the parade as "grossly insensitive" and say it should not be allowed to go ahead. |
| The Parades Commission is expected to rule on the parade later on Thursday. | The Parades Commission is expected to rule on the parade later on Thursday. |