UK: N.IRELAND: DRUMCREE: UNREST UPDATE (3)

(5 Jul 2000) English/Nat
The British army has moved into Drumcree in Northern Ireland and erected a huge steel barrier across the road where police have come under attack from protestant rioters for the past three nights.
The fence, which has been put up at the most likely flash-point, was inspected by the chief of the British army General Sir Mike Jackson.
The British army says the barrier had to be erected after escalating violence and increasing tensions in the area along the route of Sunday's Protestant Orange Order parade.
After three night of violence the British army on Wednesday erected a fence made of huge steel containers filled with concrete and topped with barbed wire.
Similar action was taken last year when barbed wire was strung across the fields which were also ploughed up to deter protesters from approaching police lines.
On Tuesday night nine Royal Ulster Constabulary officers were injured when they came under attack from a crowd of some 500 rioters hurling stones, fireworks and acid.
Police responded with water cannon - used for the first time in Northern Ireland in 30 years.
Britain's most senior soldier, General Sir Mike Jackson, carried out an inspection tour of the new barrier hours after it was erected.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I'm just here to have a look at the arrangements a lot of soldiers from my command have come out to reinforce and I'm just having a look round and seeing the soldiers. Thanks very much."
SUPER CAPTION: General Sir Mike Jackson
General Jackson who is Commander-in-Chief of Britain's land forces, spent around 20-minutes talking with local military and police chiefs.
The Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson has signed a possession order allowing the security forces to take possession of church land adjacent to Drumcree Parish Church.
But the Church of Ireland says it deplores the use of church property for political purposes, violence or demonstrations.
Peter Mandelson has dismissed the violence at Drumcree over the past two days as "thuggery".
He said no amount of violence would force a change in the decision to ban Portadown Orangemen from parading down the Nationalist (Catholic) Garvaghy Road on Sunday.
In 1997 the Drumcree parade was banned but finally allowed down the Garvaghy Road after days of intense loyalist violence across Northern Ireland.
But the British government insists there will be no such backdown this time.
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