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THE Orange Order has warned lodges across Northern Ireland
and the Republic to be vigilant, in the face of a concerted
campaign of attacks on Orange Halls.
The Grand Master called for the PSNI to step up protection
for Orange property in the face of what are effectively hate
crimes against the Orange and Protestant tradition.
And he has also urged the courts to deal robustly with anyone
convicted of causing arson or other damage to halls.
“We want the police to step up the protection they
give to our property and we want to see the courts send out
a message that these attacks are very serious crimes. Sometimes
it appears to us that the authorities want to play down what
is really happening and just how serious these attacks are,”
the Grand Master said.
He was speaking after attacks on three County Armagh Orange
halls, at Tamnificarbett, Bocombra and Ballygargan, and the
burning down of the Craig Memorial Orange Hall in Strabane.
In the latter case the authorities first of all said that
an electrical fault was believed to have been responsible
for the fire, but it later emerged that there were three separate
seats of the blaze.
Even when the PSNI are clear that halls are being targeted
by terrorist elements, lodges can have an inordinate length
of time to await issue of a Chief Constable’s certificate,
which will enable them to claim from the Northern Ireland
Office.
The Officers and Members of Seagoe Lodge in Portadown, for
example, expressed disappointment that forty-nine days after
their hall was attacked, a Chief Constable's Certificate had
still not been issued. A spokesman said it was obvious this
was an orchestrated sectarian attack on the hall and local
community and as such they cannot understand the delay by
the Chief Constable in providing the necessary documentation
to allow refurbishment work to commence.
Now the Grand Orange Lodge has called for meetings with
the Chief Constable and the Secretary of State, as well as
unionist political leaders, to discuss the ongoing campaign
against the Orange tradition.
Since the Twelfth this year, 31 halls have been targeted
and approximately 300 Orange Halls have been attacked during
the past 30 years.
The Grand Master said: “The spate of attacks on Orange
Halls was recently discussed in the Northern Ireland Assembly
and it was reassuring to see that all parties condemned the
attacks.
“But condemnation is not enough. Politicians have a
moral duty to help create the sort of society where attacks
on our halls, our religion and our culture are totally unacceptable.
"Leaders and organisations such as the discredited Parades
Commission tried to understand the Orange Order and the central
part it plays in the Protestant community.
“Attacks on our halls are a form of ethnic assault –
a direct attack on Protestant religion and culture.
“The Orange Order condemns all violence and attacks
on any property. I have urged Orangemen throughout Northern
Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to increase the security
around their property. They must be vigilant.
I have also urged members to be calm and to work with the
police in preventing these attacks and helping them find the
culprits.
“Orange Halls are an important part of the fabric of
Protestant society. They are used for youth clubs, senior
citizens clubs and many other community organisations. When
people attack our halls they are attacking our way of life.
“I want the Orange Order to play a positive role in
our society. We are working with our government on many important
issues and we are working with the Republic of Ireland’s
government on the Boyne Battlefield project. We have also
established strong links with the tourism authorities, north
and south, to promote our parades as part of the expanding
cultural tourism sector.
“We want to play our part in making Northern Ireland
a better place for everyone. It is a pity that a small group
of people seem determined to eradicate our way of life.”
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