Sections of Northern Ireland have again descended into violence, as the Orange Order took to the streets with all the triumphalism and sectarianism that has marked the organisation since its inception.

The media has presented the story as if two ancient historic hatreds were in conflict with each other. But this ignores how the Orange Order promotes the idea of Protestant supremacy. Catholics are banned from the Order and even though it cannot achieve its dream of Protestant domination it holds all the more firmly to its ‘right’ to march through nationalist areas.

In this situation, there is no equivalence between both sides and people of Ardoyne have every right to resist a sectarian march going through their area.

Socialists are totally for working class unity between Catholic and Protestant for that very reason we reject the ideas that the Orange Order should be treated as an unquestioned element of Protestant culture.

This bigoted, right wing organization should not be welcomed in either Catholic or Protestant areas.

Much of the violence occurred in North Belfast were an Orange Order parade was forced past the mainly Nationalist Ardoyne. Residents had attempted to peacefully block the road, but were removed with force by the PSNI. The PSNI and the Orange Orders insistence on forcing the parade was nothing less than sectarian provocation.

The PSNI continued with their use of the lethal plastic bullets. Police fired 70 baton rounds and used water cannon. Several plastic bullet rounds were fired in West Belfast, with one hitting a 16 year old youth. The young man was hospitalised but the result could have been worse. Seventeen people have died as a result plastic bullet use in Northern Ireland in the past.

The background to this has been the attempt to re-band the Twelfth. Now known as “Orangefest”, the event is now supposedly a tourist attraction, family friendly, a fun day out. Sashes and bowler hats were joined by “Diamond Dan”, the Orange Orders very own superhero.

The BBC and UTV reports studiously towed the line. Reporters scoured the parades in a vain search for tourists or anyone remotely resembling one. The best that could be found were the usual assortment, of Scottish visitors and a few delegates from international Orange lodges. Orangefest was to be a family event, though how welcome a Catholic family would be is anyone’s guess. The BBC’s annual Twelfth round up ignored resident protests and the blatant sectarianism on display.

The repackaging of the Twelfth is part of an attempt to legitimatise Orangeism in Northern Ireland within the sectarian framework of the state. The Orange Order in Ireland was established as a reactionary anti-catholic bloc in an effort to divide Protestant and Catholic workers. It still has the same role today. Orangesfest is about nothing more than sectarianism. The Grand Master of the Orange Order Robert Saulters was pushing the idea of Unionist unity and for one big Unionist party.

Rather than oppose the Orange Order, Sinn Fein want to accommodate it within the new framework of ‘community politics’ within the northern state. In the past, Sinn Fein where the organisers of protests in Nationalist areas, against Orange Order marches. Today they label the protesters as either ‘republican dissidents’ or ‘hoods’/’scumbags’. Sinn Fein’s role in nationalist areas is to keep a lid on things.

But they are beginning to lose control. Ten years ago they would have been happy to laud young people rioting around the twelfth, now they just they just describe them as scum. There is no doubt that dissidents hope to use this space to exploit the situation and their politics lead to a total dead end. If the last thirty years has taught us anything, it should be those who promote the armed struggle turn into establishment politicians a decade or so later. All that the dissident offer is a return to the dead strategy of armed struggle which failed for thirty years.

The DUP and Sinn Fein cannot and will not address the question of sectarianism because they are wedded to communalism on both sides. As the recession continues to bite and Tory cuts are implemented, the sectarian parties will continue to try and play both communities against each other. This risks the events of the Twelfth becoming more common place.
But it also poses the possibility of class politics coming to the fore as workers from both sides come together to fight for jobs and services.

Socialists will be at the forefront of fighting for this unity and will oppose attempts by organisations like the Orange Order to promote bigotry.