Statement by SDLP Leader Claire Hanna MP on Garvaghy Road ruling
“The SDLP stands in full support of the residents alongside so many people across Northern Ireland, and we welcome the injunction granted by the Judge which prevents the parade from taking place tomorrow.
“Nobody should pretend this is as simple as 35 people walking down a road. Drumcree carries a history and a meaning that cannot be ignored. Insisting on passing through a community that has consistently and rightly opposed this parade returns us to the old territorial politics of provocation and domination that caused so much damage here.
“To the residents, I want to say to them, I am so sorry that you have been placed in the eye of this storm, caught between the drag of some bad faith actors that seem addicted to reopening the hurt and the traumas of the past. We should never take peace for granted, and as political leaders, we should never allow the circumstances that could lead us there to take hold.
“And to those of a unionist background or belief, who are appalled or scared too about being taken backwards – many of whom have been in touch – you deserve better than this, in a future that is filled with hope and optimism, not fear and division.
“I welcome that the heat has been taken out of this difficult episode. Lighting the tinder is easy; putting the fire out is much harder and as political leaders, I am urging those in positions of power to be mindful of this in the hours and days ahead.”
ENDS