Thousands block Garvaghy Road as Orange Order parade halted

Thousands of residents gathered on Garvaghy Road in Portadown to block an Orange Order parade after a High Court decision upheld the Parades Commission’s permission for the march.

Local residents had filed an emergency injunction with the High Court in Belfast, seeking to overturn the Commission’s decision, which would have allowed the Orange Order to march along the road for the first time in almost 30 years. After three hearings that ran into the early hours, the court rejected the injunction and confirmed the Commission’s ruling.

According to Belfast Telegraph reporter Alison Morris, who was on the scene, thousands of people were already on the road by 5:30 am, creating blockades at several points. She described a “call to arms” from a Sinn Féin member urging continued resistance, noting that many protesters had been on the road for up to 48 hours and were soaked by rain.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has informed the Orange Order that the parade cannot proceed as planned. While the Order says it still intends to march, the road remains blocked and discussions continue inside the church at Dumfries Hill where the Orange members are staying.

No indication has been given that the standoff will end soon.

Source: Newstalk. Photo: Mico Medel / Pexels.