BBC News –
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cde3n36pj41o

A controversial band parade that "risks stepping over the line into the glorification of terrorism" is due to take place this weekend in Portadown, County Armagh.

Upper Bann MLA Eoin Tennyson was speaking as more than 400 people and 15 bands are expected to take part in the event billed as the Harris Boyle 50th Anniversary Memorial parade on Saturday.

Harris Boyle was known as one of the attackers of theMiami Showband murders in July 1975.

Alliance deputy leader Tennyson added: "Victims should be at the heart of any discussion we're having about celebrations, commemorations and speaking about our past."

A man speaks into a microphone. He has short brown hair and is wearing a navy suit, white shirt and purple tie. He is standing in front of a yellow background with the word 'Alliance' written in large black letters.
Image source,Pacemaker
Image caption,Alliance deputy leader Eoin Tennyson says the parade is "absolutely wrong"
The parade route is listed on the Parades Commissions website as starting at Levaghery Orange Hall, however, the Orange Order has said it's not a parade it has sanctioned.

Speaking on The Nolan Show, Tennyson said: "To commemorate and celebrate in this public way is entirely inappropriate and I think it is absolutely wrong."

Tennyson said that should apply to both sections of loyalism and republicanism.

DUP MP Sammy Wilson told Talkback that while he doesn't know what the "intentions" of the parade organisers are, "I don't believe that we should be, in any way, trying to glorify the terrorist acts of the past".

A man looks into the camera. He has white hair and a white and brown moustache . He is wearing a dark suit, white shirt and navy tie with white spots. he background is faded and people can be seen standing in front of a red bricked property.
Image source,Getty Images
Image caption,DUP MP Sammy Wilson says "terrorist acts of the past" should not be glorified
'Failed to deal with NI's past'
Former DUP special advisor, David Graham said there is no doubt that this was an "incredibly tragic event and a needless act of violence".

Mr Graham said: "We have failed to deal with the past in Northern Ireland, it is on all of us in a way."

He said there are members of the Protestant, Unionist and Loyalist (PUL) community who feel like their identity is "constantly under attack" and this was a way for those people to protect and defend their identity.

He said the commemoration is "not something that I agree with".

However, he said the first minister has said in unequivocal terms that there was no alternative in her view to the violence of the past, "there are many people not just in the PUL community, who will simply say, what's good for the goose is good for the gander".

A black and white image of the mini bus which was blown up. It is in two pieces as the main body of the vehicle lies on one side of the road and the wheels on the other.
Image source,Pacemaker
Image caption,The band's tour bus was destroyed in the 1975 attack
Former Sinn Féin MP Francie Molloy said the first minister's previous comments about violence in the past should be taken "in context".

Mr Molloy added: "We don't have a proper way for remembering the dead and everyone has a right to remember their dead."

But, he said that the Miami Showband were some of the "most innocent" people, killed and the "UDR and UVF combined together to take out this band".

Commenting on social media, UUP assembly member Doug Beatie, said the parade was "utterly appalling".

What was the Miami Showband attack?
The bomb and gun attack happened as the band, which toured across Ireland, travelled home to Dublin after a gig in Banbridge.

Their minibus was stopped by a fake Army patrol involving Ulster Defence Regiment and Ulster Volunteer Force members.

Harris Boyle was killed when the bomb which was placed on the Miami Showband bus exploded prematurely.

The gang then opened fire, murdering singer Fran O'Toole, guitarist Tony Geraghty and trumpeter Brian McCoy.

Stephen Travers and another band member, Des McAlea, were injured but survived.

The bomb also killed Wesley Somerville who was commemorated in April at a memorial parade in Moygashel in County Tyrone

by aontachtai

14 comments

  4. “someone told me my “glory to isis” rally was glorifying isis!”

  5. But sure they decided not to march or indulge in race riots after that local man killed his family

    I thought we all decided they were great

  6. Do they also commemorate the guy with the English accent who was in charge of the attack? The guy who didn’t learn the words to the Broad Black Brimmer properly 

  8. “Very fine people on both sides”, as a certain person once said about a bunch of murderous psychos.

  9. This sort of parade is plain tired old self defeating unionism 101 and it does more harm to unionism than anything Sinn Féin could ever dream up, even if that’s a low bar. It hands republicans easy propaganda, just like the GAA naming clubs and trophies after IRA men, it alienates moderates, and desecrates any serious effort to honour genuine loss within the loyalist community of which there is much.

    Boyle wasn’t a soldier. He was a UVF terrorist who died planting a poorly made bomb under a minibus full of innocent civilians. There is no and can be no justification for glorifying this in any way shape or form, and if anyone thinks there is(*not that there will be on here*) I’d say to them, try explaining it to the families of Fran O’Toole or Tony Geraghty.

    This isn’t about “*identity*” or double standards. It’s about moral sanity and this is the polar opposite. Shame on them!

  10. All this does is drive reasonable Unionists away from the parading culture.

  11. >He said there are members of the Protestant, Unionist and Loyalist (PUL) community who feel like their identity is “constantly under attack” and this was a way for those people to protect and defend their identity.

    If this is your identity it should be under attack.

  12. Where is Lockhart’s statement on this? A couple of weeks ago she was throwing shapes after some kids pulled down bunting in Portadown.

  13. Huh imagine unionisim realising that anything it does ACTUALLY glorifies terrorism, nah it only just potentially glorifies terrorists.

Comments are closed.