Northern Ireland Court Allows Orange Order March but Protesters Block It
Northern Ireland's High Court in Belfast approved a loyalist parade route. The Orange Order wanted to march along Garvaghy Road in Portadown.
This would be the first time in nearly 30 years. The court decision came late at night.
Protesters blocked the road and the parade did not happen. Garvaghy Road runs through a mainly Catholic area.
It was a major flashpoint before the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. That agreement helped end violence known as the Troubles.
Earlier a group called the Parades Commission had approved a smaller march. Only 35 people were allowed to walk silently at 8 a.m.
Residents challenged the decision in court. Orange Order members waited at a church for police clearance.
But police said they could not clear the Protestant route. The Guardian said hundreds of protesters blocked the road all day.
France 24 reported about 2,000 protesters joined the blockade. Leaders from the party Sinn Féin joined the protests.
Key Terms 5
- Orange Order A Protestant group that holds yearly marches in Northern Ireland.
- Parades Commission A group that decides where marches can happen in Northern Ireland.
- Good Friday Agreement A 1998 deal that ended most violence in Northern Ireland.
- Troubles Decades of violent conflict in Northern Ireland before 1998.
- Sinn Féin An Irish political party linked to Catholic nationalist communities.