Rival rallies organised as Drumcree stand-off continues
Drumcree Church in Portadown (Liam McBurney/PA)
Community events for both sides of the Drumcree parade dispute are to take place as a stand-off between the Orange Order and Garvaghy Road residents continued for a seventh day.
The impasse has been ongoing since the Parades Commission gave the green light for the first time in almost 30 years for the Portadown District of the unionist Orange Order – backed by the DUP and TUV – to complete its traditional route along the Garvaghy Road.
However, a coalition of residents in the largely nationalist area – backed by Sinn Féin, the SDLP and People Before Profit – is opposed to the march going ahead and took legal action which failed before starting a sustained days-long protest to prevent the parade from taking place.
A fresh legal appeal by the residents is set to be heard in the Court of Appeal on Monday.
Police have said a major public safety operation will continue in Portadown over the weekend while Northern Ireland secretary Chris Bryant said he would “especially urge calm this weekend”.
Mr Bryant, who chaired talks with both sides during the week which were unsuccessful at reaching an agreement, said his door remains open for further engagement.
He said: “Everyone across Northern Ireland wants a peaceful resolution to the situation in Portadown.
“I’m continuing to work to find a mutually acceptable agreement and I’m grateful to everyone who has offered help and has taken part in the discussions so far.
“My door remains open and I repeat my calls for people to support further compromise.”
He added: “I would also encourage people to ignore calls for more people to come to the area at this time of tension.”
“Such calls are unhelpful and are likely to put further strain on police resources which are already stretched.”
A rally against the parade will be held on Garvaghy Road from 3pm while a separate gathering in support of the Orange Order, organised under the name of the “Let Them Home Festival”, is to take place at the loyalist Edgarstown Estate from 4pm.
On Thursday night, Loyalist activist and legal adviser to the Orangemen Jamie Bryson said they will accept the determination of the legal appeal on Monday as he challenged residents of Garvaghy Road to commit to walking away if their bid fails.
Breandán Mac Cionnaith, of the Garvaghy Road Residents’ Coalition, told reporters the Secretary of State wants residents and the Orange Order to reach agreement, but contended that “the reality is” there is “no such thing as half a march”.
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