Court of Appeal to hear residents' parade challenge over Drumcree dispute
Residents of a nationalist area in Northern Ireland are challenging a court decision that allowed an Orange Order parade to proceed. The dispute, which has historical roots in sectarian violence, centers on whether the Parades Commission accurately assessed the potential for public disorder.
Why it matters
This case highlights the ongoing fragility of peace in Northern Ireland and the potential for long-standing sectarian tensions to reignite through public demonstrations.
Image source, Reuters Image caption, Protesters have maintained a presence on the Garvaghy Road since Sunday - picture taken on 28 September
A challenge to the decision to allow a controversial Orange Order parade to go down a predominantly nationalist road is due to be heard in court later.
The deadlock over the proposed march in Portadown - opposed by residents of the Garvaghy Road - has lasted since last Sunday morning.
The stalemate has reopened what was once the most bitter parading dispute in Northern Ireland, with stand-offs in the mid-to-late 90s accompanied by riots, roadblocks and killings.
The fresh Court of Appeal application argues that the Parades Commission, the organisation that approved the march, had "materially misdirected itself" on the police assessment of the potential for disorder.
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