Cowen to discuss Ardoyne unrest with residents

A delegation of Ardoyne residents is to meet the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, in Dublin this afternoon.

A delegation of Ardoyne residents is to meet the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, in Dublin this afternoon.

The group will discuss the events in Ardoyne, north Belfast, on the 12th of July when violence broke out after a group of 500 loyalists were allowed through the nationalist area.

The delegation will be led by Sinn Féin's spokesperson on Policing and Justice issues, Mr Gerry Kelly.

Mr Kelly said in an interview with today's edition of  An Phoblachtthat events in Ardoyne on the 12th could have escalated into "another Bloody Sunday".

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Mr Kelly said such an outcome was avoided "by a hair's breadth" due to the intervention of republican activists.

"The PSNI's decision to deploy British paratroopers was a recipe for disaster. The NIO had created the situation. But once given the opportunity, the PSNI reverted to the old discredited RUC-style of anti-nationalist policing.