Thousands seek to thwart disputed N.Ireland flashpoint parade
PORTADOWN: Thousands gathered Sunday in a Northern Irish town seeking to halt a contentious pro-British Protestant march from passing through a mainly Catholic and nationalist area for the first time in 28 years.
Portadown, a Northern Irish town, witnessed a massive gathering on Sunday as thousands of people sought to prevent a contentious pro-British Protestant march from passing through a predominantly Catholic and nationalist area for the first time in 28 years. The Orange Order, a pro-British organization, had been granted permission by the Parades Commission to march silently along Garvaghy Road, without any bands or supporters, at 8am Sunday.
This decision came after the Parades Commission cleared the march, despite a court's earlier injunction that sought to block it.
The Garvaghy Road has been a significant flashpoint during the Troubles, a period of conflict between pro-Irish republicans and pro-UK unionists that lasted for three decades. About 2,000 people walked in the Garvaghy Road area on Sunday to form a counter-protest, seeking to stop the Orange march. A heavy security presence was present, and police had to temporarily halt the Orange Order rally inside a church hall.
Northern Ireland's First Minister, Michelle O'Neill, condemned the court's ruling, stating that there is "no going back" and that the community will not accept a sectarian march. Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald, who accompanied the counter-protesters, emphasized that residents and the community have come together to protect their right to live free from sectarian harassment. She added that their message is clear: they are not going back to the past.
The Orange Order's procession had withstood numerous last-minute legal challenges. Initially, a Belfast High Court judge temporarily blocked the march on Saturday, warning that the ongoing dispute could escalate across Northern Ireland and urging all parties to step back from the brink of conflict. However, shortly before midnight on Saturday, a three-judge Court of Appeal panel overturned this injunction, ruling that the judge had made a legal error.
The substantive legal challenge was then returned to the High Court, but the appeal decision allowed the procession to begin at 8am on Sunday.
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