Draft bill on parades aimed at contentious parades not trade unions

By Carál Ní Chuilín
I note with concern the negative campaign being orchestrated by the group called STOP which seems intent on generating alarm and a volume of misinformation rather than resolution to the issue of contentious parades.
One of their conspiracy theories concludes that the proposed Public Assemblies Act is the ‘most draconian’ legislation in decades, and is a restrictive measure of the type which the civil rights movement came into existence to combat.
Provocative language makes no contribution to the search for a resolution to the parades issue and the right of citizens to live free from sectarian harassment.

I would have thought that the leaders of STOP would, through their experience possess enough political acumen to know the difference in ‘consultation’ which is an invitation to submit ideas, objections and criticisms and ‘legislation’ which is the final product which becomes the law.
Propaganda should never replace accuracy and facts if you wish to retain your integrity. The facts are that the consultation document invites submissions from any interested party, organisation or individual by 14th July and clearly states that it is only a draft.
Nothing is decided and will not be until all submissions are received and examined. All feedback and opinions to this consultation process are not just welcome but to be encouraged and valued.
The European Convention on Human Rights enshrines the right to assembly, and is the over-arching law that all domestic legislation will flow from and defers to. The draft bill will fully adhere to that. The proposed Bill enshrines the right to assembly, parade and protest.

Therefore those behind the STOP campaign are being extremely disingenuous in the claims that any final document could curtail rights.
In my view they are mistakenly claiming that new measures to deal with Orange parades will undermine legitimate protests against any Tory/Lib Dem cuts. I suggest that they would better serve the community by supporting the Sinn Féin call for a united front to oppose any attempted cuts to frontline services in the North.

Currently all organizers of public assemblies, processions and parades must notify the PSNI of their intention.
The suggested draft legislation moves this process to a new body (OPAPP).
A longer notification period, such as the proposed 37 day notice for parades, is something that residents groups, seeking to live free from sectarian harassment, have been calling for having identified the shorter notification, that is currently in place, as a deficiency in current parades legislation.
Once the new body has been notified of a planned parade it will then notify all the relevant bodies, groups and individuals. Late notification is allowed for, and assemblies organised at the last minute are allowed under the draft proposals.
No additional public order offences have been created. There are no new restrictions placed on the trade union movement by the new Draft Bill.

In fact Sinn Féin has met with representatives of the trades union movement in recent days to discuss the proposals with them. The legislation is designed to deal with contentious parades such as Orange Order parades.
Are STOP seriously suggesting that we leave parades up to the new Tory British Secretary of State?
I think that they would be better employed in directing their energies towards encouraging citizens to put forward submissions and assist in positively shaping the new way forward.