A decision by the Parades Commission to permit an Orange Order march on Garvaghy Road in Portadown on Sunday has led to a political crisis in Stormont. The commission reversed an earlier ban late last week, allowing the march to proceed on a limited scale.
The previous successful march from Drumcree parish church down Garvaghy Road in 1997 required a British army presence and resulted in nationalist riots, with over 160 people injured. The Parades Commission was established the following year and subsequently banned the march due to its history of violence and disorder.
On Sunday, protesters blocked the Garvaghy Road route until the early hours of Monday morning, creating a tense standoff. This incident has dangerously exacerbated tensions within the Northern Ireland executive, which is currently deadlocked and approaching a Westminster deadline for agreeing a budget.
The Irish Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, criticised the decision to facilitate the parade. Unionists are calling for a police investigation into Sinn Féin First Minister Michelle O’Neill's attendance at the protest. The Prime Minister has called for "calm on all sides" and stressed the importance of preserving the gains made since the Good Friday agreement.