Protesters disperse after blocking contentious Orange Order parade
Hundreds of protesters in Portadown, Northern Ireland, blocked a road to oppose a contentious Orange Order parade, which was controversially permitted to march through a mainly-nationalist area for the first time in almost 30 years. Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill joined the protest, drawing strong criticism from DUP leader Gavin Robinson and the Northern Ireland Secretary.
Why it matters
This event highlights persistent sectarian tensions and political divisions in Northern Ireland, recalling periods of serious disorder from the 1990s. The involvement of the First Minister in a protest deemed unlawful raises questions about political leadership and adherence to the rule of law.
Image source, PA Image caption, Orange Order members and supporters gathered near Drumcree Parish church on Sunday, as police vehicles were stationed nearby
Hundreds of protesters blocked a road in Portadown on Sunday after a contentious Orange Order parade was given late-night clearance to march down it for the first time in almost 30 years.
Following a series of legal challenges, a ruling by the Parades Commission permitting the Drumcree parade down the mainly-nationalist Garvaghy Road was upheld in an "unprecedented" sitting of the High Court in Belfast .
Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill joined the protesters, while members of the Orange Order and Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) politicians gathered about a mile away, waiting for the road to clear.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson said O'Neill was breaking the law by protesting.
He said the first minister had "broken her pledge of office".
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