BBC News | NORTHERN IRELAND | Warning over junior Orange march

A Sinn Fein assembly member has warned of a potential for serious disorder following the decision to allow a march by junior members of the Protestant Orange Order on the fringes of a mainly nationalist area.

The ruling by the Parades Commission allows the march in the Parkmount section of the Garvaghy Road in Portadown, County Armagh, on Saturday.

Protests at last year's march turned to violence and 13 police officers were treated in hospital for injuries following clashes with nationalist and loyalist protesters.

The Garvaghy Road has been the focus of bitter controversy because residents object to attempts by the Orange Order to march along the route on their way from a religious service at Drumcree Church.

Sinn Fein's Dara O'Hagan accused the Parades Commission of ignoring its own criteria by allowing the march despite serious disturbances on previous years.

"We met the Parades Commission last week and pointed out the threat of serious disorder.

Dara O'Hagan: Residents were "hemmed into their homes" by RUC jeeps

"It's put out as a Junior Orange march but the reality is that last year 700 loyalists tried to get onto the bottom of the Garvaghy Road."

She said the proposed march heightened tension at an already tense time and claimed that last year's march had led to nationalists being "under curfew" in their homes for several hours.

Portadown Orange Lodge spokesman David Jones said the violence mainly came from protesters from the Garvaghy Road area.

"The violence has to be seen to be coming from her particular community, not from loyalists.

"The people in the Garvaghy Road just cannot accept Orange feet on any part of it, even if those Orange feet belong to seven to eight year olds," he said.


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