Thousands Block First Garvaghy Road Parade in 28 Years as Burnham Urges Calm
Updated
Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Sep 27
Thousands Block First Garvaghy Road Parade in 28 Years as Burnham Urges Calm
3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Sep 27
Summary
Thousands of protesters blocked Portadown's Garvaghy Road after an overnight Belfast court ruling cleared an Orange Order march through the mainly Catholic area for the first time since 1998.
Andy Burnham appealed for calm, warning against reversing Northern Ireland's gains, while Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant cut short his Labour conference trip to travel to Belfast and liaise with police and local leaders.
Michelle O'Neill said the revived Drumcree dispute called the peace process into question, standing with protesters as Sinn Féin accused the Orange Order and unionists of dragging Northern Ireland backwards.
Gavin Robinson countered that the legal position was unequivocal, saying 35 Orangemen could walk in silence and accusing O'Neill of inflaming opposition instead of respecting the courts and police.
The Drumcree parade was a flashpoint during the Troubles and had been banned for 28 years, making Sunday's standoff a test of how far post-Good Friday Agreement stability can hold.