MEMBERS of the Royal Black Institution confirmed yesterday that "in the interests of goodwill" they have decided to restrict the route of a planned parade in the village of Pomeroy, Co Tyrone, on August 31st.
The parade is one of a large number of marches by the institution due to take place throughout the North on the last Saturday of the month. Nationalist protests have been raised over several of these, in locations such as Newry, Co Down; Bellaghy, Co Derry; Dunloy, Co Antrim, and Belfast.
Contacts are continuing between Royal Black representatives and residents' representatives on the Bellaghy parade, and the RUC has already prohibited a Belfast parade from passing down the Lower Ormeau Road on Sunday. But attempts to establish negotiations about other venues have failed so far.
Although the organisers of the Pomeroy parade did not accede to a request by the local nationalist residents' association for a meeting, they announced a voluntary rerouting of their demonstration. A Royal Black spokesman there, Mr Richard Reid, said that they had decided on a shorter route. He said this voluntary concession contrasted with the "intolerance" shown by the Residents' group.
In Bellaghy, a further meeting took place for two hours on Wednesday evening between Royal Black representatives and a local residents' organisation. The talks were reported to be at a delicate stage and likely to come to a conclusion tonight.
A spokesman for the local Concerned Residents' organisation in Dunloy said yesterday that they had tried unsuccessfully over the past 10 days to arrange a meeting with Royal Black representatives.
He indicated that compromise on the parade could be possible if contact was established, but "nobody knows what you have to give until you talk". If there was no agreement the residents would be seeking a judicial review of the parade plans, the spokesman said.
The predominantly nationalist village of Dunloy came under siege for several hours by a crowd of more than 1,000 Apprentice Boys on August 12th until they were forcibly driven away by the RUC.
About 60 people attended a meeting in Newry on Wednesday night, organised by the Newry Coalition Against Sectarian Marches, to discuss plans for a protest against the Black parade due to take place in the town tomorrow week.
No settlement talks have yet been held on this parade, and a local member of the Black institution said he saw no need for talks. He pointed out that the Ancient Order of Hibernians had been allowed to parade through the predominantly Protestant village of Kilkeel, Co Down, last weekend without hindrance.
In Belfast, the organisers of the Royal Black parade which had planned to pass down the nationalist Lower Ormeau Road have said that they are discussing the option of carrying out some form of protest against the RUC's rerouting order.