More than 400 women and children have taken part in a peace march on Belfast's Shankill Road, the scene of a violent internal loyalist feud which has resulted in three deaths and 165 families being driven from their homes.
The march on Thursday night went from the Highfield end of the road to Woodvale. "If you are a mother you want peace for your children, no matter whether you are from the top or the bottom part of the Shankill Road," said one of the women, who carried placards reading "Let's bury our differences, not our men". While yesterday saw no bomb or gun attacks in the area, the evictions of families appeared to continue. Both the Ulster Defence Association and the Ulster Volunteer Force are reported to have refused to halt the evictions to allow peace talks to start.
Protestant church leaders are to hold a prayer service next Saturday and a prayer service will be held in Shankill Methodist church on Tuesday. A local pastor, the Rev Jack McKee, said the service would give people the opportunity to show their opposition to the cycle of violence destroying the community. The Progressive Unionist Party, which represents the UVF, has criticised the RUC for searching a Shankill Road shop that sells UVF memorabilia. A party MLA, Mr Billy Hutchinson, said there had been no need to break into the building. "People would have co-operated. All the RUC would have had to do was to get the keyholder," he added.
Mr Hutchinson said initiatives such as the peace march and the proposed prayer services were to be welcomed but were unlikely to alter the situation. Meanwhile, two women escaped injury when an explosive device was thrown at their house in Coleraine, Co Derry, on Thursday night. The device exploded on the doorstep. The incident is not believed to be linked to the loyalist feud.