A heavy RUC presence is expected in Portadown today as thousands of Orangemen from all over Northern Ireland converge on the town for a massive parade in support of the continuing Drumcree protest.
Tensions were high in the town before today's Orange parade. The RUC, with British army back-up if necessary, will police the parade as it makes its way to Drumcree church to meet fellow Orangemen who have maintained a token protest there since July.
The Parades Commission has banned the parade from making its return journey down the nationalist Garvaghy Road. The parade, which is expected to attract upwards of 10,000 Orangemen and band members will cause major disruption in Portadown on what is traditionally the town's busiest shopping day.
Orange leaders have urged their members and loyalist supporters to act in a peaceful and dignified manner today. However, there are fears that this parade, and other demonstrations in Portadown planned for the Christmas period, could degenerate into street violence.
The parade is expected to march to the police lines blocking the Orangemen from proceeding down the Garvaghy Road. Orange marshals and police will then be under pressure to ensure that at this flashpoint the parade members and supporters obey the Parades Commission instruction and return to Portadown by their outward route away from Garvaghy Road.
Mr Denis Watson, the Orange Order grand secretary, has written to all Orange district lodges urging members to act peacefully. "It is important that this parade is both successful and peaceful," he instructed.
The Portadown district master, Mr Harold Gracey, who has been camped at Drumcree since the annual July parade was banned from marching down Garvaghy Road, said: "All brethren should make every effort to support this parade and what it stands for - the democratic right of free assembly on the Queen's highway." The Orangemen will hold a carol service at Drumcree, and the parade is due to conclude about teatime. A number of previous such demonstrations resulted in serious violence in Portadown. In July the three Quinn brothers from Ballymoney died in a loyalist arson attack linked to the protest. In Portadown itself an RUC constable, Mr Frankie O'Reilly, died in October from injuries he sustained in a blast-bomb attack during disturbances in September.
Efforts earlier this week to resolve the Drumcree deadlock failed. Proximity talks involving the Orange Order and Garvaghy Road representatives hosted by Mr Tony Blair's chief of staff, Mr Jonathan Powell, were unable to find a solution to the long-running dispute.
Mr Martin McGuinness, the Sinn Fein MP for mid-Ulster, accused the Orange Order of "showing little respect" for the nationalist people of the Garvaghy Road. He called for a moratorium on Orange marches.
"After six months of living under siege the nationalist people of Garvaghy Road were entitled to expect that Christmas would be free from the fear and intimidation that they have experienced every day since July," he said.
Mr McGuinness said that the Orange Order was showing little support for the peace process "given that their activities are heightening tension across the six counties at a time when the rest of us are trying to end conflict".
"The only way the issue of contentious marches can be resolved is through face-to-face dialogue between residents and the Orange Order. The Orange Order should immediately declare a moratorium on all their planned marches for the Portadown area as a gesture of their stated willingness to find a solution to the ongoing problem," Mr McGuinness said.
