Protesters disperse after blocking contentious Orange Order parade along Garvaghy Road

Around midnight on Sunday, protesters in Portadown, County Armagh cleared a road that had been blocked by the Orange Order, preventing a contentious parade from taking place. This was the first Drumcree parade in 30 years following legal challenges. Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill supported the protesters, while members of the Orange Order and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) gathered about a mile away, waiting for the road to clear.

Most protesters had dispersed by then, but some remained. DUP leader Gavin Robinson accused O'Neill of breaking the law by protesting, claiming she had broken her pledge of office. Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant urged both sides to seek compromise and emphasized that unlawful protests should not be attended, though he could not determine if someone had broken the law.

Breandán Mac Cionnaith from the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition addressed the cleared protesters, expressing hope that the situation would improve. He said they had blocked the road for 48 hours, and now the goal was to stop them permanently. Residents warned that the dispute would drag on for some time. Sir Chris met with politicians from various parties, including the DUP, Alliance Party, Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), and Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), discussing the dispute.

He confirmed he was considering suggestions for resolving the issue but acknowledged that no solution had been reached yet. O'Neill urged protesters to stay on the road until at least midnight, emphasizing the importance of the Orange Order's presence in the area. The Orange Order parade had the potential to reignite the ongoing divisions in Northern Ireland, as the marches are seen as sectarian by many Catholics who object to their passage near or through Catholic or nationalist areas.