Drumcree dispute draws rival rallies as Northern Ireland standoff continues

Large crowds gathered in Portadown on Saturday as the dispute over a proposed Orange Order parade along the Garvaghy Road continued. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said a major public-safety operation would remain in place over the weekend. Residents of the Garvaghy Road oppose the march, while a smaller event in Edgarstown supported the Orange Order.

Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill told thousands at the Garvaghy Road that the dispute was about right and wrong. She urged people to stand with local residents if the British government did not end the crisis. Democratic Unionist Party MP Carla Lockhart called on the PSNI to facilitate the parade and described the impasse as mob rule.

Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows called the scenes a failure of political leadership. Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant said he was concerned about the prolonged standoff and was working with those involved to find a mutually acceptable solution. A Fianna Fáil spokesperson said there was a history of hurt around Drumcree and urged calm and continued communication.

Speakers at both events referred to the risk of renewed disorder and the importance of the rule of law. Some supporters of the Garvaghy Road said they did not want a return to past violence, while an Orange Order supporter described the parade as a matter of culture and civil liberties. Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said the PSNI was doing everything possible to maintain order and protect everyone in the area.

The supplied material does not say that an agreement had been reached.