PORTADOWN ORANGEMEN have been prevented by police from marching along the nationalist Garvaghy Road in Portadown, Co Armagh for a 12th consecutive year.
Members of the local lodge made their way to Drumcree parish church outside the town for their annual Somme commemoration service. But they were prevented returning through the nationalist area on foot of a Parades Commission determination.
District secretary Nigel Dawson called on a small group of police officers, led by chief inspector Ken Mawhinney, to remove the light barrier blocking Drumcree Road, but this was refused.
Orangemen dispersed peacefully a short time later after a defiant speech by district master Darryl Hewitt in which he called for the disbandment of the Parades Commission. He also denounced the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition and accused the police of enforcing one rule for them and another for unionists in Co Armagh.
He told members of Portadown lodge that senior Orangemen were “putting in a lot of time and effort seeking a resolution to the impasse”.
“We will not be walking away from this place and I can assure you that we will continue to work hard to achieve what we desire.” He said marchers attempted to complete their original banned parade “each and every Sunday . . . And there is still a presence on the hill every night”.
“One must ask the question, ‘Why are we still here this year?’ After all the chair of the Parades Commission [Rena Shepherd] stood at this place last Drumcree Sunday and stated that she would have the situation resolved by December.” He claimed Orangemen had met Ms Shepherd on at least three occasions since last year and claimed they had been told the commission was not prepared to initiate any sanctions against the nationalist residents.
Mr Hewitt added: “The sooner the Parades Commission is dissolved the better – tomorrow would do.” He said it would be “interesting to see what comes of the new arrangements for parading in Northern Ireland”. These were promised as part of the deal to secure the devolution of policing and justice powers to Stormont concluded at Hillsborough in February.
“When the new body comes into being you can be sure that the first issue to be dealt with is our parade from this place back to Carleton Street.” Turning to the police, Mr Hewitt asked why no nationalist had been threatened with arrest “regarding illegal parades that take place around Northern Ireland”.
“It seems to be that there is one law for the nationalist-republican community and another for the unionist community,” he alleged.