Thousands of protesters blocked a controversial loyalist Orange Order march from going ahead on a Catholic street in Northern Ireland for the first time in nearly 30 years.
A late-night legal ruling by the Parades Commission authorising the parade along Garvaghy Road in Portadown during an "unprecedented" late-night High Court session in Belfast.
Large groups of protesters, many wearing balaclavas, gathered along the road on Sunday morning—a location renowned as a major Troubles flashpoint in the 1990s.
A standoff continued into the evening with members of the Orange Order still waiting inside Drumcree Church Hall to be given the go-ahead to march, according to the Belfast Telegraph.
Prime minister Andy Burnham has appealed for “calm on all sides”.
He said: “I know it’s a tense situation. We do appeal for calm on all sides. There have been big gains made in Northern Ireland, and we don’t want to see things go backwards.
“So, obviously, a challenging situation today, but it’s very important that we work to bring calm.”
The stand-off at Drumcree made headlines in the 1990s, with nationalist residents of the Garvaghy Road opposed to the parade passing through the area, leading to violent clashes for several summers and political tension necessitating a major security operation.
Key Points
- Orange Order march given go-ahead after 29 year ban
- Sinn Féin president brands situation 'intolerable' and 'madness'
- Thousands of protesters block Garvaghy Road
- Andy Burnham calls for 'calm on all sides'
- Michelle O'Neill calls for Northern Ireland secretary to intervene
'Stay the course', Northern Ireland's First Minister tells protesters
21:02 , Alex Ross
Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill and other senior party figures are among those stopping the Orangemen by blocking the road.
On Sunday evening, Ms O’Neill encouraged protesters to the “stay the course” as she urged them to remain on the road until at least midnight.
Stand-off continues into the evening
20:05 , Alex Ross
The stand-off has continued through the day and into the evening, with Orangemen waiting at Drumcree Church around a mile from the road waiting to commence their parade.
Around 6pm, several Orangemen emerged from the church hall and walked down the hill where they were met by police. Officers subsequently told senior members of the institution that they could not have more than 35 people on the hill – as that was a restriction placed on the parade by the commission.
A crowd of supporters gathered with the Orangemen.
'Nobody wants to go back to 28 years' - Sir Chris Bryant
17:50 , Amy-Clare Martin
Maintaining the resilience of the political system in Northern Ireland is of key importance and no one wants to” dismantle” the Good Friday Agreement, according to Sir Chris Bryant.
The Northern Ireland secretary told reporters in Belfast: “Nobody wants to go back to 28 years.
“I don’t think there is a single person involved in politics in Northern Ireland that really wants to go back 28, 30 years and relitigate everything and dismantle the Good Friday Agreement.
“I’m very determined that we will do everything to maintain that but we need to make sure that we have resilience in the political system here.”
He added: “I think it’s all the more important that we have a Parades Commission that is fully functioning. Of course, these issues were litigated in court at length yesterday afternoon and through into the night.”
Sir Chris said he had the same message for everybody which is to “double down on compromise.”
He added: “So maybe we should have tattooed on everybody’s hand, 20% less or 30% less. Everybody calm down. We can get through this. There are decent people of good faith in every side of this argument. Let’s get through it.”
In pictures: Armoured police vehicles in Portadown as protest continues
17:30 , Amy-Clare Martin
Police chief calls for 'sensible and peaceful conclusion'
17:10 , Amy-Clare Martin
Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland Jon Boutcher said he is hoping to bring the events to a "sensible and peaceful conclusion".
He added a successful conclusion to the current situation would be that "not one hair on one head gets harmed".
The chief added that he wants everybody to find "a place that they can, with dignity, walk away from the current situation."
Everyone needs to 'double down on compromise' - NI secretary
16:47 , Amy-Clare Martin
Northern Ireland secretary Sir Chris Bryant has said everyone needs to “double down on compromise”.
He said he has he hoped to speak face to face with political and community leaders to “see if we can get to a settled position”.
“The truth is everybody has to double down on compromise – that’s what life’s all about – double down on compromise,” he added.
Sir Chris Bryant appeals for calm as he arrives in Belfast
16:22 , Amy-Clare Martin
Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant has appealed for calm.
Speaking to reporters in Belfast, he said: “It is absolutely important that everybody cooperates with the police, that everybody takes a moment to maintain a degree of calm, to respect people who have a different opinion from yourselves and to be able to try and achieve some kind of resolution of what is obviously a very difficult situation today.”
Sir Chris said he had come from the Labour Party conference in Liverpool “specifically” to have meetings with other political and community leaders “if necessary”.
He said: “If there is a way of finding a way through this, we want to be able to put ourselves at the service of others to be able to achieve that.”
In pictures: Stand off continues as protesters block Garvaghy Road
16:02 , Amy-Clare Martin
Nobody wants a return to 'divisions, disorder and violence' - Irish deputy PM
15:40 , Amy-Clare Martin
The Tánaiste (deputy Irish PM) Simon Harris says he's been following events on the Garvaghy Road closely and appealed for calm.
"Nobody wants to see a return to the divisions, disorder and violence associated with this issue in the past. We have come too far to ever go back," he said in a statement.
"The progress made in Northern Ireland over recent decades was hard won.
"None of us should take that progress for granted, and none of us wants to see the divisions of the past reopened."
Micheál Martin says parade decision is 'incomprehensible and wrong'
15:21 , Amy-Clare Martin
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has appealed for "calm on all sides" of the Drumcree stand-off, but says he finds the "original decision by the Parades Commission incomprehensible and wrong".
"For 28 years, we didn't have a parade down the Garvaghy Road and most people anticipated that to remain the same," Mr Martin told Irish broadcaster RTÉ.
He said "the gains that have been made over the last 28 years" should be protected, which he described "immeasurable" and said mediation was key.
DUP accuse Michelle O'Neill of 'giving two fingers to the police, the courts and the rule of law'
15:01 , Amy-Clare Martin
DUP leader Gavin Robinson has accused the First Minister of Northern Ireland of “giving two fingers to the police, the courts and the rule of law”.
He claimed Michelle O’Neill had “broken her pledge of office” by being on the Garvaghy Road amid a protest against the Drumcree march.
He said: “It is shameful that we see on the streets of Portadown, on the Garvaghy Road, a First Minister, a collection of ministers and series of elected representatives who are manifestly breaching their pledge of office, who are participating in an unlawful protest, who are blocking the road and who are giving two fingers to the police, the courts and the rule of law.
“That is a situation that I think cannot be allowed to pass unchallenged, I believe there are sincere calls for those individuals to be investigated and prosecuted for the position they are taking, but as it stands today, there is a lawful determination from the Parades Commission.
“The Parades Commission have determined that 35 Orange men are entitled legally and lawfully to parade the Garvaghy Road. The police have a responsibility to ensure that as democrats in this democratic society that they can complete their journey.”
He also expressed his “appreciation for the determined stance that the Portadown Orange men are taking”.
“They have shown discipline, they have shown patience and they have shown an unbridled determination to adhere to the rule of law,” he said.
“If it takes another 28 hours, if it takes another 28 days, they will show the same steadfast determination and patience and a willingness to uphold the law that they have demonstrated over the last 28 years.”
DUP's Carla Lockhart claims First Minister is acting 'unlawfully'
14:45 , Amy-Clare Martin
DUP MP Carla Lockhart said Sinn Féin should “take leadership” and put an end to the protest on Garvaghy Road, which she described as “unlawful”.
Speaking to reporters outside Drumcree parish church, she said: “The folks in the hall behind you have had a seismic win in the courts – for 28 years they have been denied their rights on this very hill.”
She described the behaviour of Michelle O’Neill as “unreal”.
She told reporters: “We have a very serious situation where a First Minister, who claims she’s First Minister for everyone, is acting unlawfully, and it’s time that she steps back and that she takes those who she’s leading onto the road unlawfully off the road, and allows law and order to be upheld.”
WATCH: Garvaghy Road blocked by protesters of Orange Order parade amid calls for calm
14:28 , Amy-Clare Martin
Parade given final go-ahead in early hours court hearing
14:14 , Amy-Clare Martin
The march was given the go ahead at a hearing which concluded at 2.15am on Sunday after opposing legal teams outlined their arguments over the controversial parade.
The hearing was one of three separate emergency legal cases heard before the courts in Belfast across Saturday and into early Sunday.
The final time-limited sitting, which began at 12.20am on Sunday, was heard before Justice Michael Humphreys.
During proceedings he acknowledged the “unusual if not unprecedented circumstances as it is now 1.45am, with a parade scheduled to begin in just over six hours’ time”.
Outlining his decision, Justice Humphreys cited case law that as a public body the courts must respect the Parade Commission’s judgment and “their decisions will not be lightly interfered with”.
He said: “The picture painted here is of a public body which took evidence from the relevant sources, weighed up the key issues which were in play and arrived at a reasoned decision.”
Recap: Prime minister appeals for 'calm on all sides'
13:59 , Amy-Clare Martin
Prime minister Andy Burnham has appealed for “calm on all sides” over the Orange Order parade, saying there have been “big gains made in Northern Ireland, and we don’t want to see things go backwards”.
Speaking on Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, he said: “I know it’s a tense situation. We do appeal for calm on all sides.
“There have been big gains made in Northern Ireland, and we don’t want to see things go backwards.
“So, obviously, a challenging situation today, but it’s very important that we work to bring calm.”
Northern Ireland secretary returning to Belfast from Labour Party conference
13:31 , Amy-Clare Martin
Sir Chris Bryant is returning to Belfast amid the standoff over the parade.
The Northern Ireland secretary said he would be leaving Labour’s conference in Liverpool, telling the BBC: “I’m going to be going back to Belfast this afternoon.
“I was expecting to be doing things here, but I think most people would expect me to be in Belfast, and that’s where I’ll be.”
In pictures: Police negotiators at the scene
13:14 , Amy-Clare Martin
SDLP leader: 'We are in a stand off here and it is necessary to deescalate'
13:00 , Amy-Clare Martin
The leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), Claire Hanna, has called for the chief constable and secretary of state to intervene.
Speaking from the scene at Garvaghy Road, she told the BBC: "We are in a stand off here and it is necessary to deescalate."
Hanna said police and Northern Ireland secretary have the "ability to revoke any permission for this parade".
"Whatever the legalities, it was never politically right or morally right to do this," she said.
Standoff continues as protesters block Garvaghy Road
12:45 , Amy-Clare Martin
The parade of 35 Orangemen was due to start at 8am, however thousands of protesters have blocked Garvaghy Road.
Crowds gathering were told on a loudspeaker that they were liable for arrest for taking part in an unnoticed parade. Around 15 minutes before the Orange Order march was due to begin, the announcement said anyone participating could be prosecuted.
Around five minutes before the parade was due to start, a huge number of fireworks were set off near Garvaghy Road.
Loud cheers erupted from the crowds after being informed the Orange Order had left Drumcree, according to Press Association. The cheers were soon followed by chants of “Bring Stormont down” from some of the protesters.
However a standoff is continuing with members of the Orange Order still waiting inside Drumcree Church Hall to be given the go-ahead to march, according to the Belfast Telegraph.
RECAP: Orange order march given go ahead after 29-year ban
12:20 , Amy-Clare Martin
The Drumcree parade has been a flash-point for the troubles after a stand-off made headlines in the 1990s. Nationalist residents of the Garvaghy Road opposed the parade passing through the area, leading to violent clashes for several summers and political tension necessitating a major security operation.
The Orange Order has unsuccessfully applied for more than a quarter of a century to complete its 1998 walk along the route.
On Friday, the Parades Commission reversed its long-running determination, to the welcome of unionist parties and outrage of nationalist and republican parties.
Permission was granted for a parade subject to strict restrictions, including a limit of 35 participants and an 8am start time.
The ruling permitting the march from Drumcree Church was upheld in an “unprecedented” late night sitting of the High Court in Belfast just a few hours before the parade was due to start.
The group of Orangemen due to take part in the parade waited at the church on Sunday, but the road was blocked by thousands of protesters.
Irish government 'very concerned about the situation'
12:05 , Amy-Clare Martin
The Irish government said it is “very concerned about the situation”.
A government statement said: “Our primary concern remains to avoid a return to the divisions of the past, recalling the significant progress made over many years in furthering reconciliation under the Good Friday Agreement.”
Protesters block Garvaghy Road after late night ruling allows parade
11:50 , Amy-Clare Martin
Thousands of protesters have blocked the predominately nationalist Garvaghy Road in Portadown in a bid to prevent a contentious Orange Order parade passing.
A ruling by the Parades Commission adjudication body permitting the march from Drumcree Church was upheld in an “unprecedented” late night sitting of the High Court in Belfast just a few hours earlier.
The Drumcree parade, which was associated with violent clashes during the Troubles, has been banned since 1998.
Protesters, many of them wearing balaclavas, clustered in large groups in heavy rain along the road on Sunday morning – a move that delayed the scheduled 8am start of the parade.
Police chief appeals for everyone to 'remain calm and peaceful'
11:35 , Amy-Clare Martin
The head of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) called for “those with influence to encourage people to comply with the law” amid a large protest blocking the Garvaghy Road.
PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said: “I’m unbelievably proud of my officers who, supported by mutual aid colleagues, are managing an exceptionally challenging situation.
“The policing operation thus far has helped ensure there has been no violence or disorder. We have an evidence gathering operation in place to detect any offences and will continue to do this throughout today.
“I appeal to everyone to remain calm and peaceful. I am immensely grateful for all those voices who have already called for calm.
“I would urge those with influence to encourage people to comply with the law and work with the police to keep everyone safe.
“Police are engaging and working with all parties and will continue to do so. It is incumbent on us all to come together at times like this to do all we can to preserve a peaceful Northern Ireland.”
In pictures: Thousands of protesters block Garvaghy Road
11:20 , Amy-Clare Martin
Northern Ireland secretary: 'People will be very nervous and anxious'
11:05 , Amy-Clare Martin
Sir Chris Bryant said he wished “we weren’t in this position”, as an Orange Order parade is set to go ahead for the first time in decades in a predominantly nationalist area of Northern Ireland.
Speaking to the BBC, the Northern Ireland Secretary said: “I can imagine that lots of people didn’t sleep very well last night, not least because of course the court case was going on till very late into the night, till 2.30 in the morning.
“I know lots of people will be watching this very, very closely, including people who have long memories of things that happened 30 years ago, and people will be very nervous and anxious.
“So the number one thing I think is people should co-operate with the police. I want everything to pass off as calmly as is possible. I’m speaking to the police obviously on a regular basis throughout the day, and was last night as well, and so is my team.”
He added: “I wish we weren’t in this position. I wish we weren’t looking at relitigating things of the past. But the court decided that the adjudication, the determination of the Parades Commission stood. So it’s important that everybody abides by the law.”
DUP leader says First Minister should 'uphold lawful decisions, not inflame opposition'
10:50 , Amy-Clare Martin
The First Minister of Northern Ireland should “uphold lawful decisions, not inflame opposition to them”, DUP Leader Gavin Robinson said.
His comments come after Michelle O’Neill, who is also Sinn Féin vice-president, spoke to media on the Garvaghy Road.
Mr Robinson said: “The legal position is now unequivocal. 35 Orangemen can walk in silence along Garvaghy Road. The Court of Appeal found that the injunction had been granted in error, and the High Court subsequently confirmed that the Parades Commission determination must be respected.
“Yet Michelle O’Neill described that outcome as ‘disgraceful’, claimed an Orange procession was being ‘forced’ through the area and declared, ‘There is no going back. Not tomorrow. Not ever’.
“Those words were followed by organised obstruction of the road, while Breandán Mac Cionnaith instructed people to sit down, link arms and return if removed by police. Michelle O’Neill then addressed the gathering, urged it to ‘stay strong’ and repeated the ‘no going back’ chant.
“A First Minister’s duty is to uphold lawful decisions, not inflame opposition to them. The rule of law cannot apply only when Sinn Féin likes the outcome. Our institutions are founded on respect for the police, the courts and the rule of law.
“The Orangemen of Portadown have conducted themselves with dignity and respect for the rule of law for 28 years and once again have demonstrated their maturity today.”
WATCH: Andy Burnham appeals for 'calm on all sides'
10:40 , Amy-Clare Martin
Michelle O'Neill calls for Northern Ireland secretary to intervene
10:28 , Amy-Clare Martin
Northern Ireland’s first minister and Sinn Féin vice-president Michelle O’Neill has said the reignition of the Drumcree dispute “brings into question how this whole peace process works”.
She questioned the decision making of the Parades Commission and called on the Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant to intervene in the Drumcree parade dispute.
Speaking on the Garvaghy Road she said: “No right-minded person would make this decision. I still do not know the answer to this question – why, after 28 years of a determination to block a march down this road, that the Parades Commission thought that this was the right idea today to bring this mess back onto this community?”
Some in the crowd blocking the Garvaghy Road on Sunday morning could be heard shouting “bring Stormont down”.
Asked on if she thought Stormont could collapse over the Drumcree dispute, the First Minister said: “I think that this brings into question how this whole peace process works.
“The progress of the last 28 years have been brought into question by the actions of the Orange Order and those within political unionism that want to drag us backwards, and I think that brings into question – you heard it here today.
“You heard it about the people’s view of Stormont. You heard it about the terms of politics working for them, and you hear it here time and time again and we’ve certainly heard it over the last 24 hours.
“What’s the point? What’s the point whenever people are going to railroad over their rights? Whenever they’re going to try to roll back in 28 years of progress?”
Burnham calls for 'calm on all sides'
10:15 , Amy-Clare Martin
Prime minister Andy Burnham has appealed for “calm on all sides” over the Orange Order parade, saying there have been “big gains made in Northern Ireland, and we don’t want to see things go backwards”.
Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, he said: “I know it’s a tense situation. We do appeal for calm on all sides.
“There have been big gains made in Northern Ireland, and we don’t want to see things go backwards.
“So, obviously, a challenging situation today, but it’s very important that we work to bring calm.”
He also said there has been a decision taken by the Independent Parades Commission which has been upheld in the courts.
He added: “The job that I have, that the Secretary of Northern Ireland has, is upholding the Good Friday Agreement, and I take that responsibility really seriously. It’s 30 years old next year.
“It’s also the responsibility of the Taoiseach in the Republic of Ireland, and I spoke to him yesterday because we work very closely together on all these matters.”
Sinn Féin president brands situation 'intolerable madness'
09:47 , Sam Rkaina
Speaking from the area on Sunday morning, Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald said the people of Garvaghy Road would “not be drawn back to the past”.
She said: “We have spent all night here, all night talking to people, listening to people, seeking to reassure people that actually this can be resolved, and it must be.
“So here is what needs to happen now – the Secretary of State needs to intervene. The chief constable of the PSNI needs to intervene and put a stop to this.
“This is madness. This, in fact, is primitive treatment of any community in the year 2026. It is intolerable, and it will not be tolerated.”
Some in the crowd blocking the Garvaghy Road could be heard shouting “bring Stormont down”.
Asked on if she thought Stormont could collapse over the Drumcree dispute, the First Minister said: “I think that this brings into question how this whole peace process works.
“The progress of the last 28 years have been brought into question by the actions of the Orange Order and those within political unionism that want to drag us backwards, and I think that brings into question – you heard it here today.
“You heard it about the people’s view of Stormont. You heard it about the terms of politics working for them, and you hear it here time and time again and we’ve certainly heard it over the last 24 hours.
“What’s the point? What’s the point whenever people are going to railroad over their rights? Whenever they’re going to try to roll back in 28 years of progress?
“But I can tell you what we’re about. We’re about the future. We’re about building on our peace and progress. We’re about not allowing people to bring us back.”
Pictures from gathering crowds of protesters
09:44 , Sam Rkaina
Orange Order march given go-ahead after 29 year ban
09:37 , Sam Rkaina
A controversial Orange Order march has departed Drumcree in Northern Ireland following a late-night legal ruling.
The decision by the Parades Commission authorizing the parade along Garvaghy Road in Portadown was upheld during an “unprecedented” late-night High Court session in Belfast, concluding only a few hours before the march began.
Large groups of protesters, many wearing balaclavas, gathered along the road on Sunday morning—a location renowned as a major Troubles flashpoint in the 1990s.
A substantial display of fireworks was set off nearby roughly five minutes ahead of its scheduled 8am start, while a loudspeaker announcement warned demonstrators that they faced potential arrest for taking part in an unnoticed procession.
Loud cheers broke out after crowd members were informed that the Orange Order had departed Drumcree, followed shortly by chants calling to "Bring Stormont down".
