Orangemen furious as Belfast flashpoint parade rerouted

ORANGEMEN last night hit out at a ruling which will keep a big parade out of flashpoint nationalist areas in Belfast.

They accused the authorities of capitulating to the threat of confrontation from republicans by restricting the route of the so-called Tour of the North march on Friday night. Increasing tensions over the forthcoming marching season also prompted Ulster's business community to call on both communities to avoid a repeat of the violent scenes of previous summers and abide by the rulings of the Parades Commission, the body responsible for resolving disputes.