NI secretary to ban the Drumcree parade
Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant has banned the controversial Drumcree parade following advice from the PSNI regarding safety risks. The decision follows a two-week standoff between Orangemen and local residents in Portadown.
Why it matters
The intervention highlights ongoing sectarian tensions in Northern Ireland and the government's role in maintaining public order during sensitive cultural disputes.
Published 9 October 2026, 20:43 BST Updated 6 minutes ago Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant is to ban the Drumcree parade.
The dispute has has led to a stand-off between Orangemen and nationalist residents of the Garvaghy Road in Portadown lasting almost two weeks.
Sir Chris said the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) chief constable advised him "that it would not be possible to enable the procession to happen without a major intervention which would carry an unacceptable risk of serious injury, disorder and a wider contagion effect across Northern Ireland".
Sir Chris had been coming under increasing pressure from Sinn Féin and the SDLP to stop the parade. The move comes on the 13th day of deadlock between residents and the local district lodge of the Orange Order.
The Parades Commission ruled that the march could go ahead with restrictions in place.
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