OPENING the Alliance Party's conference on Saturday, its president, Mr Addie Morrow, led a bitter attack on the Ulster Unionist Party leader, Mr David Trimble, and his involvement in the events at Drumcree last year.
"We are facing a terrifying situation," he warned. "Over the next few months we will have demonstration and counter demonstration.
"Violence will spill on to our streets and the bigoted politicians will spew their hatred and encourage the masses to stand up and maybe even to die for what they see as their right.
"Last year at Drumcree we stood at the edge of the abyss and by a miracle survived. This year Trimble seems to be still drunk from what he interprets as success last year and is already boasting of no compromise down the Garvaghy Road," said Mr Morrow, who accused unionists of taking the bait from Sinn Fein and the IRA, whose agenda, he said, was to make Northern Ireland ungovernable.
He warned: "This summer, all hell could be let loose. This is indeed a sick society where people have to be protected to go to their place of worship and where our valiant police force are threatened."
He said people already were voting with their feet on Drumcree and anyone who could" afford a holiday was going to get out this summer.
"I have no apology for blaming the bigoted politicians for their destructive, policies but I do not divorce the people of Northern Ireland from their responsibility. The politicians in this democratic society truly reflect the population that gave them their votes. If we continue to vote for confrontation that is what we will get and what we deserve," said Mr Morrow.
"So I say to the people of Northern Ireland - be very sure when you register your vote that you understand and accept the responsibility of the events that will follow. Remember Hitler was elected on a democratic vote."
He told the electorate: "Stop deluding yourselves. If you vote for year, do not expect peace."