No surrender to settlement in heartland of the hard-liners

THERE IS little welcome for the peace settlement at Portadown, the unyielding heartland of Ulster Protestantism. Instead, the mood among many is one of fatalism and anger. The Loyalist cause has been, they say, casually tossed away in the interest of political expediency.

The view in this town, where Protestants make up 73 per cent of the population, is that decades of bombing and shooting by the Provisional IRA has ended with Sinn Fein getting what they wanted over tea and biscuits at Stormont.

Portadown is the constituency of Ulster Unionist leader, David Trimble, who is of course campaigning for a yes vote. But it is also the home town of Billy Wright, the murdered leader of the Loyalist Volunteer Force. Supporters of the paramilitary say that since the politicians have betrayed them, the only option left is relentless and violent direct action.

It is no empty threat. The Good Friday peace accord was followed by a series of sectarian attacks on Catholics, including the murders of a 29- year-old man at Portadown, and a 22-year-old student at Crumlin, Co Antrim. The security sources blamed the LVF.

Portadown will also be the location of one of the most potentially explosive confrontations of the coming months, the Orange Order Drumcree march through the Catholic Garvachy Road.

Last Friday the recently instituted Parades Commission issued restrictions on two Loyalist marches. At Portadown, Protestant activists declare such interference will not be tolerated when it comes to Drumcree.

Ivor Young's rapidly growing Concerned Protestants Committee will be co-ordinating many of the planned marches and rallies of the marching season. On his front room wall hangs a sketch of Orangemen parading to Drumcree Parish Church.

Mr Young said: "We do not accept this Parades Commission, they are just representing the British Government. They have no right to tell us what to do. The people will be going to their church at Drumcree. It is not the Loyalists who cause trouble there, it is the Nationalists whipped up by Sinn Fein/IRA.

"David Trimble has let us down badly. If he stands here again I don't think he'll get back in, he is just one of the politicians who has sold us down the river.

"Of course there will be violence in the future. I don't think Tony Blair understands the situation; the Loyalists have been left with no option but to fight back. What he doesn't understand is that we could be seeing things which are 10 times worse than anything that has gone on before."

In the town centre blasted last year by a 500lb IRA bomb, Richard Armstrong, 42, a company director, says he has no time for Loyalist paramilitaries but is also against the agreement.

He said: "Unlike a lot of people, I have actually studied the document. It seems to mean all things to all men. I can't see how it can work when the avowed aim of Sinn Fein is a United Ireland. If the referendum was held tomorrow I would vote no."

There were, however, a few voices of hope. Susan Johnston, 53, is at pains to point out that people are simply too weary and battered by the years of strife. "I was so happy about the agreement at Easter that I actually got drunk for the first time in 10 years. My husband was most shocked," she said.

"This is our last chance, we have had 28 years of the troubles and it has got us nowhere. We simply do not want any more killings in the future. It's got to stop."

Whether that happens or not may well be out of the hands of people like her. Less than 200 yards from where she stood speaking, rising above the red, white and blue kerb stones of the Protestant estates are the murals mourning the martyrdom of Billy Wright, and the slogans of Loyalism's defiant last stand. "LVF - the true defenders", "No Surrender", and "Marching Not Talking - Drumcree 98."