Sinn Fein president on loyalist road
Lesley-Anne Henry
Gerry Adams took a leap of faith when he stepped onto the loyalist Newtownards Road for David Ervine's funeral yesterday.
The Sinn Fein president's first official visit marked a historic moment that many people thought they would never see.
There was much anticipation among the mourners as to who would represent the republican movement.
And on the arrival of the Sinn Fein president, in a blacked-out four-wheel-drive, the crowd remained dignified and quiet.
There were whispers of "fair play to him", but some were not as gracious in their welcome and saw it as a "missed opportunity".
Following the funeral service Mr Adams, flanked by a team of bodyguards, made his way through a sea of mourners, many of whom were hardened loyalists from the UVF and UDA.
But again the crowds simply looked on as Mr Adams made his way to his car.
It truly was a remarkable scene.
One east Belfast resident summed it up when he told the Belfast Telegraph: " I never thought I'd see it. These are definitely changed times.
"It just goes to show what sort of a man Davy Ervine was."
Fonte:
BT >>[Modificato da jay.ren 13/01/2007 21.45]