Greg O'Loughlin

“There must be no hierarchy of victims. Every family deserves equal access to truth and justice, regardless of who killed their loved one. Political pressure from the British military or intelligence services must not stand in the way.

“These amendments risk preferential treatment, providing additional protections for former members of the British military while placing further obstacles in the path of effective investigations.

Organizations, elected leaders, politicians, and community groups from around the word. Below is a compilation of statements of support and calls for intervention to prevent the Orange Order from marching down Garvaghy Road.

You can read the letters from:

The Congressional Friends of Ireland Caucus
The Irish American Unity Conference
The Brehon Law Society of New York
The Ad Hoc Committee to Protect the Good Friday Agreement
European Lawmakers from MEPs, from multiple groups across Ireland, Spain, Belgium, France, Sweden, Germany, Catalonia, the Basque Country, Galicia and Italy
The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians

Irish America is clear that it wants to move beyond words and the aspiration to Unity into action planning and preparation. I hope the President’s words will lead to renewed US focus on fully implementing our Agreements. 

A policy which will realize the right to self-determination as agreed in the Good Friday Agreement, to support preparations for orderly, respectful and informed unity referendums and to ensure the British Government abides by its obligations to be “rigorously impartial.”

On Thursday, a bipartisan group of United States Congresspeople sent a letter to the British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Bryant, warning him that, “Without decisive action, we risk reopening one
of the most painful chapters of Northern Ireland’s history and undermining nearly three decades of peace,
stability, and reconciliation made possible by the Good Friday Agreement.”

Rosemary Nelson said, “This behavior on the part of RUC officers has worsened over the past 3 years and, most particularly, since I began to represent the residents of the Garvaghy Road area in Portadown.

“These people objected to an Orange Order march passing through their area from the Drumcree Church. Last year I was present on the Garvaghy Road when the parade was forced through. I had been present on the road for a number of days because I had instructions from my clients to apply for emergency judicial review of any decision allowing the parade to pass through this area.

“We have spoken to the Chief Constable and made plain the serious implications of this decision for communities across the north.

“We have spoken with the British Secretary of State and with the Taoiseach and Tanáiste. The Irish government must stand in support of the Garvaghy residents and their obligation under the Good Friday Agreement to ensure this community can live free from sectarian harassment.

“There is a court process this evening. But of course the British Secretary of State has the power to revoke this determination. That is what he must do if necessary.”

“There is no reasonable or logical basis for the Parades Commission’s announcement that permission has been granted to force an unwanted Orange march through the Garvaghy Road community this Sunday.

“For 28 years, the Garvaghy Road community has lived in peace, and the people of that community have been able to get on with their lives.

The Ancient Order of Hibernians, the largest Irish American organization in the United States, welcomes today’s remarks from President Donald Trump indicating his support for a united Ireland and his observation that “it’s going to happen eventually. It may as well happen now.”

For the Ancient Order of Hibernians, which has long supported Irish reunification through the democratic provisions of the Good Friday Agreement, the President’s remarks are welcome.