PSNI feared attack on police over Drumcree parade
The PSNI has warned of potential violence from dissident republicans and loyalist paramilitaries regarding a banned Orange Order parade in Belfast. The Orange Order is currently challenging the government's decision to block the parade in the High Court.
Why it matters
The situation highlights ongoing sectarian tensions in Northern Ireland and the delicate balance between public safety and the right to assembly.
The PSNI believed it was possible that dissident republicans may have used guns and petrol bombs to attack police officers if they attempted to clear protesters blocking an Orange Order parade along the Garvaghy Road, the High Court in Belfast has been told.
Police also warned that it was possible that loyalist paramilitaries who supported the parade would also engage in violence.
Portadown District of the Orange Order is mounting a legal challenge to the decision by Northern Ireland Secretary of State Chris Bryant to ban the parade following a request to review the original decision from PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher.
It is also challenging the role of the Chief Constable, accusing him of overstepping his statutory powers by commenting on political matters by saying that facilitating the parade could have "catastrophic consequences" for the stability of the Stormont Executive and the peace process.
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