Protesters disperse after community leader announces new process for Drumcree dispute

Protesters who blockaded the Garvaghy Road in Portadown have largely dispersed after Breandán Mac Cionnaith of the Garvaghy Road Residents’ Coalition told them a fresh process to address the Drumcree parade dispute was being launched.

At the height of the blockade, thousands gathered on the road on Sunday to stop an Orange Order parade from Drumcree Church from passing along the predominantly nationalist route. The gathering, which was illegal under Northern Ireland’s parading legislation, included senior Sinn Féin politicians such as Stormont First Minister Michelle O’Neill.

The blockade continued into the night while Orangemen assembled at Drumcree Church, about a mile away, awaiting the start of their march. Around midnight, Mac Cionnaith announced that he had secured “commitments” that the parade would not proceed down the Garvaghy Road and that he would meet Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant and PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher on Monday morning.

He asked for 20‑30 volunteers to remain on the road to monitor the commitments, saying, “We’ve stopped them once. The process now is to ensure we stop them permanently.” O’Neill also hailed the community’s “victory”, stating that residents do not want the march and praising their steadfastness.

Earlier, the Northern Ireland secretary had appealed for calm and urged political and community leaders to seek compromise, while DUP leader Gavin Robinson warned that Sinn Féin ministers must face consequences for breaching their pledge of office. The Parades Commission had upheld a High Court ruling permitting the Orange Order march, despite the parade having been banned since 1998.

Source: Irish Examiner. Photo: Jan van der Wolf / Pexels.