A long-running dispute over an Orange Order march through a contested route in Portadown has escalated into a near-two-week standoff, with Catholic residents blocking the procession. Authorities have now intervened, banning the parade after determining it would not serve the public interest. The decision follows weeks of tensions between the Orange Order and nationalist communities over the disputed Garvaghy Road route. The move marks a rare intervention in the annual parading disputes that have long divided Northern Ireland.
Prospect of contentious Orange Order march through Garvaghy Road in Portadown has led to a nearly two-week standoffThe Northern Ireland secretary of state has banned the Drumcree parade after a 13-day impasse between the Orange Order and nationalists.Chris Bryant announced on Friday night that it was “not in the public interest” for Orangemen to march the contested route through Garvaghy Road in Portadown, which Catholic residents had blocked. Continue reading...
