First Protestant march in Catholic area in nearly 30 years
Tensions are running high in Northern Ireland after the High Court in Belfast approved a controversial parade. Around 2,000 protesters have blocked the route into a Catholic area where the Protestant march was due to pass. It is the first time in nearly 30 years that the Orange Order has been allowed to march along this route, which was a notorious flashpoint before the 1998 Good Friday Agreement…
Tensions are running high in Northern Ireland after a court ruling allowed a Protestant march to take place in a mainly Catholic area. The Orange Order parade, which was first allowed in nearly 30 years, was set to go through Garvaghy Road in the town of Portadown on Sunday. According to DW News, 2,000 people gathered on the street to counterprotest against the march.
The march, which will feature 35 members of the Orange Order walking silently without bands or supporters, was approved by the High Court in Belfast after a series of last-minute legal challenges. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has appealed for calm on all sides, saying he does not want to see Northern Ireland "go backwards."
Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O Neill, a member of the Irish republican Sinn Fein party, spoke against the decision to allow the march to take place, labeling it "unwanted" and "sectarian." In contrast, Carla Lockhart, an MP from the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party, said local residents have nothing to fear from the march.
Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, DW News, DW English (Top Stories) — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
