Unionism moving to ‘more extreme element’ on Drumcree, O’Neill warns
Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill has criticized unionist leaders for aligning with 'extreme elements' following a High Court decision to quash restrictions on an Orange Order march. The ruling has reignited tensions regarding the contentious Drumcree route.
Why it matters
The dispute highlights the fragile political stability in Northern Ireland and the ongoing friction between unionist and nationalist communities over historical parade routes.
The First Minister has accused unionist leaders of moving towards a "more extreme element" after the High Court quashed a decision by the Parades Commission to impose restrictions on an Orange Order march at Drumcree.
Michelle O'Neill visited residents of the Garvaghy Road in Portadown on Wednesday, and said political unionism wants to "revisit those dark days", referring to widespread disorder seen in 1998 and previous years because of tensions around the march along that route.
DUP Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said there is "a huge amount of anger" in the unionist community over the commission's decisions to impose restrictions on the annual Orange Order parade.
The legal challenge, which was launched last month, had been brought by a Portadown Orangeman.
The Parades Commission, which adjudicates on contentious marches, has blocked the order from marching along the Garvaghy Road in Portadown in July every year since 1998.
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