After three nights of intense violence in Ardoyne, a message from an unelected parades group  linked to dissident republicans calling on young people to stop rioting has been branded “too little too late”.

The statement from the Greater Ardoyne Residents Association (GARC), a parades pressure group that is unrecognised by the Parades Commission, was lambasted by the Crumlin Ardoyne Residents Association (CARA) and by Sinn Féin after GARC issued an open invitation to nationalists everywhere to come to the Crumlin Road on July 12.

The open invitation came despite a warning given to GARC at a public meeting held the week before the parade in Holy Cross Parish Hall that if they staged a sit-down protest a violent outcome was inevitable.

In a statement yesterday, GARC’s Martin Óg Meehan – who is also the North Belfast spokesman for the dissident umbrella group Republican Network for Unity – said: “GARC take this opportunity again and ask people to desist from violence, as it deflects the focus from the core issue of unwelcome secterian marches being forced through our community.”

But CARA spokesman Joe Marley blasted: “This is a case of too little too late. You can't just turn the tap off after you invite everyone in. GARC needs to take responsibility for their actions. You can't wash your hands of it when all hell breaks loose – it doesn't work that way.”

CARA staged a peaceful protest on the Twelfth during the Orange Orders morning walk but were prevented from doing so again in the evening by  GARC’s sit-down protest.

Monday and Tuesday saw the worst of the violence, but local youths continued attacking police with missiles and petrol bombs on into Wednesday evening. 

Police deployed water cannons and dozens of plastic bullets were fired. Meanwhile, rioters hurled petrol bombs, bricks, masonry, and metal spikes at police while blocking roads with residents’ cars they hijacked and set on fire.

Seven people from across Belfast have so far been arrested in connection with the violence, but the police have promised that more widespread arrests will be carried out when the rioting subsides.

GARC spokesman Paul Carson said his group would not take any responsibility for the violence that erupted.

“Whose responsibility is it? History tells us it’s the fault of the Orange Order for putting in an application through the area of Ardoyne and the Parades Commission for insisting that this is carried out.”