AFTER almost 20 hours the Bellaghy stand-off ended in compromise. Loyalist marchers were allowed to walk to the local Orange hall in the south Derry village by nationalist protesters who had blockaded the road.
The main street had been divided on Sunday evening between about 150 loyalists at one end and around 300 nationalist protesters. Between them hundreds of RUC officers in full riot gear maintained a l00-metre no-man's-land.
At 9.40 a.m. yesterday the RUC Land-Rovers moved aside and officers removed some riot gear, while the leader of the Royal Black Institution marchers, Mr Robert Overend, held a press conference.
Mr Overend said the Blackmen and their band would march to the Orange hall and then disperse. He said marchers hand been told by the RUC on Sunday that the march would be forced through.
"They gave us a clear undertaking that if we went peaceably to church then when we came out they would have the streets cleared."
The stand-off began at 2.30 p.m. on Sunday when nationalist protesters sat blocking the road at the upper end of the village.
The marchers went to the RUC lines and then returned to the Church of Ireland church at the far end of the village. When they attempted to march through again at 6.30 p.m. the RUC donned full riot gear and appeared ready to baton-charge the nationalist crowd.
"We will have a quiet parade up our village," Mr Overend said yesterday morning, refusing to confirm whether this route had been agreed with the protesters.
At the nationalist protest lines the crowd had moved back around 50 feet to clear the roadway outside the small Orange hall.
The residents' spokesman, Mr Paul Smith, read a statement to protesters telling them they had agreed the compromise with members of the Royal Black Preceptory. He called it a "victory for common sense", and said the protest would be "peaceful and dignified. We want no shouting or jeering".
At 10.20 am. the march made its way up the hill towards the protesters, who stood in silence. Mr Overend marched head down and appeared to refuse to accept the small brown envelope with the terms of the consent as Mr Smith tried to hand it to him.
With marchers at the front carrying a banner, two flags and two swords, it took just three minutes for all the marchers to file past and return down the hill.
A Sinn Fein councillor, Mr Francie Molloy, thanked the crowd for the "very dignified protest you've carried out today". There were loud cheers. He said yesterday's deal meant that future loyalist marches could not be held without the consent of nationalist residents.
