The deplorable scenes in Bangor, and on a train from that
town to Belfast on Easter Tuesday had nothing to do with the
Junior Orange Order.
That point must be stressed right away, as some radio and
newspaper reports linked the hooliganism and drunken behaviour
of louts with the Orange parade.
That is very unfortunate, as the photographs and reports
in the 'News Letter' the following day showed an attractive,
disciplined and well turned-out parade of Junior Orange members,
and bands, watched by thousands of spectators in the seaside
town.
This is what the Easter Tuesday Junior Orange parade of Belfast
County, North Down and County Antrim Junior Orange is all
about, and once again this was largely ignored by the media.
The same applies to the County Armagh, County Down and County
Tyrone Juniors in Bangor in May.
The media seized on the opportunity to link the Junior Orange
parade with unrelated acts of hooliganism and drunkenness,
things which had nothing to do with the Orange demonstration.
Unfortunately, the law on alcohol has been so diluted, and
there is such a liberal and tolerant attitude to drinking
that society has been swamped with booze in recent years.
Every weekend there are scenes of deplorable behaviour linked
to excessive drinking, on the streets of Belfast, Londonderry
and the large Northern Ireland provincial towns.
Some people did make the point on radio that scenes of underage
drinking and hooliganism can be seen most days and nights
in Bangor, and also at Portrush. Indeed, a listener said that
the pier at Bangor on Good Friday was thronged with many underage
drinkers, most the worst for excessive use of alcohol.
No decent person would condone what happened in Bangor on
Easter Tuesday. But it is wrong to associate it with a Junior
Orange parade that has been held for many years on Easter
Tuesday at different venues.
The fact is that the drink laws in Northern Ireland are now
so liberal that people can drink most days and nights of the
week, including Sundays.
On days of special events and parades, much of the drinking
spills out on to the streets where these take place. The drinkers
have no real interest or commitment to the parades. They merely
take the opportunity of large crowds on the streets to indulge
in their habit, and then spoil the enjoyment of the vast majority
of onlookers by their behaviour.
This sort of thing has happened at various places in recent
years, and the organisers of events have had to introduce
extra stewarding and security to cope with the hooligan element.
But the real onus is on the authorities, and the PSNI, to
act as quickly as possible, and arrest those who are breaking
the law or insulting members of the general public.
There must also be a tightening of the legislation, and prompt
action to deal with publicans, especially those who own off-licences,
who allow minors to purchase alcohol.
Police must also be vigilant in detecting adults who purchase
alcohol and then hand it to juveniles and minors.
The alcohol abuse which occurs at holiday times like Easter
Tuesday, or indeed any other time of the year, must be dealt
with firmly and with zero tolerance by the police, and the
magistrates.
The Orange Order supports any action on this matter, and
contrary to some radio and press comments, there is no way
at all it will condone or support loutish behaviour by young
people and adults misbehaving due to the consumption of alcohol.
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