Drumcree dispute remains deadlocked as protesters stay on Garvaghy Road
Protesters and members of the Orange Order remained near the Garvaghy Road and Drumcree church as talks failed to resolve a long-running Northern Ireland parade dispute. Political exchanges continued at Stormont, while police reviewed evidence relating to possible offences during protests and the involvement of politicians.
The dispute over the Drumcree parade remained unresolved overnight, with protesters staying on the Garvaghy Road and members of the Orange Order maintaining a smaller presence at Drumcree church. The stalemate followed political talks at Stormont. Orangemen spoke to police near the church in an attempt to proceed along the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road, although there appeared to be no serious expectation that the route would be opened.
The parade had been due to take place on Sunday. Its route has been a source of conflict between the Protestant, pro-British Orange Order and residents of the largely Catholic and nationalist Garvaghy Road area. The dispute has a long history.
Since 1998, the Orange Order had been barred from completing the Drumcree march, until a series of legal challenges allowed the parade to proceed this year for the first time in three decades. Up to 400 people gathered on the road on Monday night, while groups of Orangemen attempted several times to begin the parade. Police later reduced their presence, with two cars and a Land Rover deployed; the road itself was not blocked.
Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant held talks with senior Portadown Orange Order representatives and with Breandán Mac Cionnaith of the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition. Mac Cionnaith said the Orange Order should use its outward route to Drumcree Church as its return route instead of using the Garvaghy Road. The attendance of First Minister Michelle O’Neill and other politicians at protests has also caused controversy.
The Democratic Unionist Party accused O’Neill of acting unlawfully, while police said a dedicated team was reviewing evidence and would investigate anyone found to have broken the law. Christopher Nelson, whose mother, solicitor Rosemary Nelson, was murdered by loyalists in 1999, said the situation had revived painful memories. He urged politicians to consider the effect on children on both sides and prevent further escalation.
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