Marches are 'harassment' Benn tells Derry forum
By Suzanne Rodgers
APPRENTICE Boys marches in nationalist areas are a form of harassment, veteran Labour MP Tony Benn has told a gathering in Londonderry.
He was speaking during an open forum organised yesterday as part of the Gasyard Feile. The event was held after a night of nationalist rioting, burning and looting again followed the annual Apprentice Boys march in the city.
Mr Benn told a crowd of several hundred gathered in the Calgach Centre, which overlooks the Bogside, that marching was a cover for a lack of ideas.
He said: "Marching can cover a vacuum of ideas. If you have nothing to say, get yourself a band and make lots of noise.
"Marches are a form of harassment. We don't tolerate other forms of harassment and we shouldn't tolerate this either."He went on to reiterate his call for British withdrawal from Northern Ireland.
Mr Benn said: "My opinion is that British jurisdiction is the problem. It would be difficult to make any change without consent but I think we should get a date saying, 'This is when the jurisdiction ends.'"I have introduced bills to this effect on a number of occasions, but unfortunately they were always put back. But I do believe it will happen and I think the Belfast Agreement is transitional."The event was chaired by Angela Hegarty from the Committee for the Administration of Justice and the panel also included Bernadette McAliskey and John Kelly.
Mrs McAliskey called for an end to negotiation by nationalists with the Apprentice Boys.
"Basic human rights are non-negotiable. I would not negotiate any more," she said.
"There is no fundamental right to march, a tradition is not a human right. But also there is no fundamental human right not to be offended. But there is a right to be allowed to live free from oppression."Contributions from the floor largely supported the views expressed by the panel, but one man referred to the violence and destruction of the previous night.
He said: "Last night had nothing to do with Apprentice Boys or oppression. It was wanton destruction and thuggery by fellahs coming out of the pubs." © Copyright Belfast Telegraph Newspapers Ltd. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/today/aug16/News/cccc.ncml