Background: 'Let them through to the school!'
Assembly members Gerry Kelly and Billy Hutchinson attempt frontline mediation in Ardoyne this morning. Minor trouble flared after it was claimed loyalists had prevented children from getting to Holy Cross Girls' Primary.
This morning again we had children crying their eyes out. Now we can't put our children into that environment until we've got some guarantees that they're going to be safe going to school, while they're in school, and coming home from school.
The problem began yesterday when flags were being erected near the school. Nationalists say they were attacked: Loyalists claim it was the other way around.
It's nothing to do with the kids going to the school. It was men from Ardoyne that came up into this area and put a ladder…that a couple of fellas putting flags up, put a ladder through their windscreen.
But the children have now been caught in the middle.
- People attacked yesterday can't get their kids into school to desks like.
- What about the people that's been attacked in here, Gerry?
- The police sat and watched a woman being pushed back there this morning and not allowed down the road.
- We want the kids into the school, that's what you need to do.
- So do I.
- Right, well then get them in.
- No, you move them back below Glenbryn Park.
- Get them into the school.
- No, you move them back below Glenbryn Park.
- These people in these uniforms are hurting these people this morning, and batting them off the street. Now...
People were saying if the men left the area, that they would allow the women and children to go to school, ah, and I think that that's right 'cause all children has a sort of human right, children have the right to go to school, and that's what I wanted to happen. But obviously people on the other side were angry and didn't want to listen.
If the Good Friday Agreement means anything, right, it has to act on the ground. And on the ground, what is happening here is that Catholic kids (and let's be clear about this, because they're Catholic) are being refused into their school to be educated.
Calm was eventually restored, but not before the school was forced to close early amid fears for the pupils' safety.
I think it's essential that we have normality for these children and that they can live and be educated in peace and security. I think it's at an all-time low when you have a primary school and the children can't actually go to school and be educated.
Behind the scenes, meetings are planned tonight and the police have told the school they'll ensure pupils will get safe passage tomorrow.
From whatever beginnings, this has developed into another row about territory. Clearly there is much talking to be done to avoid this stand-off becoming a daily ritual.
