The traditional loyalist heartland of the Shankill Road has remained comparatively quiet in recent nights. "Not a peep," was the assessment of an RUC officer yesterday when asked about the area.
One reason for this calm can be traced to the local headquarters of the Progressive Unionist Party. The PUP and its leader, Mr David Ervine, have used their links with UVF paramilitaries to dampen down violence in areas such as Shankill and east Belfast.
Mr Ervine says he can't guarantee that individual UVF members are not involved in violence but blames most of the trouble on "sinister elements" in the Loyalist Volunteer Force. "If the loyalist paramilitaries were involved in the violence in a structured sense, things would be a hell of a lot worse than it is at the moment, although it's bad enough."
Mr Ervine says the North "could be looking into an abyss" if the parades dispute is not resolved. "Loyalists are angry. There is a perception that violent nationalism is determined to subjugate loyalist culture, and this is coupled with the perception that the nationalist hand is always out, but it's never to give."
There is also anger with the RUC. "The behaviour of the RUC's mobile units has been deplorable. Their reactions have been over the top and only serve to exacerbate the difficulties we face."
The PUP leader called on the Orange Order to clarify its position following comments by Mr Joel Patton, of the Spirit of Drumcree group, opposing the Assembly. "For Joel Patton, the first issue on the agenda seems to be the collapse of the Assembly and the demise of Mr Trimble. There are those who are very disingenuously using the Drumcree situation as a rerun of the referendum within unionism."
