Hijacked cars burn on Garvaghy Road

Violence Across Northern Ireland
In the Wake Of Drumcree March

Youths hurled stones and petrol bombs at the retreating police officers and soldiers. Minutes after their departure, militants had hijacked two cars, tipped them over and burned them in the middle of the road.

Burnt-out train Militants are taking "revenge"

In nearby Lurgan a gang of nine men, several of them armed, seized a train. They ordered passengers off the carriages before systematically petrol bombing the train.

A policewoman was wounded in the face in Coalisland, 15 miles northwest of Belfast, when a man wielding a shotgun ran out of a nearby pub and shot at her. Her wounds are said to be not life-threatening.

In south Belfast, another unidentified gunman fired five shots at police on a bridge that divides Catholic and predominantly Protestant areas; nobody was injured. More incidents of violence were reported across the province.

During nationalist demonstrations there were calls for IRA revenge. "There'll be no IRA cease-fire now," said Gerry Kelly, a Belfast man who spent several years in prison for an attempted IRA bombing. He predicted the soldiers would "have to pay for a start. It's been demonstrated clearly to us today that the only thing the British government understands is force."

The political repercussions of the parade
Mark Devenport reports -- Dur: 1:55

The Irish Prime Minister, Bertie Ahern, expressed disappointment at the decision to allow the march. The IRA's political wing, Sinn Fein, said it was outraged.

Ronnie Flanagan, allowing the march to go ahead - "the lesser of two evils"

"a stark choice"

The RUC Chief Constable, Ronnie Flannagan, had announced his decision to let the march go ahead early on Sunday morning. He said he had made his decision after weighing up 'two evils'.

"The choice I was left with was a simple, stark choice in terms of balancing two evils," he said. "Each evil threatened to bring about serious violence. I'm talking about loss of life." He apologised to residents of Garvaghy Road for the fact that the parade had to go ahead and said conditions had been imposed to make sure it would pass quietly. "I want to subject them to minimum violence," he said.

Full Political Support For March Decision

Mowlam "did her utmost"

The Northern Ireland Secretary admits failure

The Northern Ireland Secretary, Mo Mowlam said she had done her utmost to reach a compromise solution. She told reporters she had met intransigence on both sides.

On the steps of Stormont Castle in Belfast Ms Mowlam told a news conference: "Northern Ireland has seen far too many tragedies. Peace and the preservation of life in the end matters most of all." The right to peaceful assembly, the right to march, was a basic right. But she said all rights carried responsibilities and should be, "exercised with respect for the rights and freedoms of others." Ms Mowlam said the decision by the RUC chief constable to allow the Drumcree march to go ahead was taken to preserve public safety.

Orange parade enters Catholic area

Police clear Garvaghy Road before the Orange parade

The Orange Lodge Parade
Peter Hunt reports from Drumcree -- Dur: 1:58

Nationalist residents, held back by police and troops, hurled abuse and banged dustbin lids as the parade passed between lines of vehicles belonging to the security forces. Bottles were thrown but the Orangemen marched in silence, and the parade itself passed off peaceafully.

Day Began in Violence

Ten civilians and three police were hurt in the clashes when RUC officers and troops in riot gear moved into the road in a surprise early-morning swoop at about 3.30am. Hundreds of residents confronted two lines of police and petrol bombs and bricks were hurled at officers. Road signs were ripped from the ground and bricks pulled from driveways to use as ammunition.

A police spokesman said those injured were "walking wounded" and not seriously hurt. But people in the crowd said three civilians were hit by plastic bullets.