The RUC have said the situation at Drumcree Hill is quiettonight after the Orangemen's parade in the Portadown town.
A spokeswoman told ireland.comtonight that about 300 people are gathered at Drumcree Hill to continue the protest against the Parades Commission's ban on the Orange Order marching down the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road.
|
|
Portadown Orangemen march towards the security barrier at Drumcree Parish Church
|
But she said there have been no serious disturbances.
Leaders of the Orange Lodge at Drumcree bridge earlier called on Parades Commission to resign over it ban preventing the march down Garvaghy Road.
The deputy District Master of the Portadown Orange Lodge Mr David Burrows said the Parades Commission was "an unelected quango" and his organisation’s protest would continue at Drumcree for as long as the commission’s ruling was in place.
He said the Parades Commission should be replaced by "an accountable body" and he criticised the body for a "lack of consistency in their determinations".
At about 1.35 p.m, the Assistant District Secretary of the Portadown Orange Lodge, Mr Nigel Dawson, spoke to Chief Inspector Jonathan Kearney who emerged from a section of the barricade at Drumcree bridge.
Mr Dawson protested that the RUC Assistant Chief Constable Stephen White was not there in person to receive their protest and said this was a "snub on the Orange Lodge".
He said the Portadown Orange Lodge protested at the heavy fortification blocking their traditional route down Garvaghy Road.
Mr Dawson said the Parades Commission was a "bigoted, biased and destructive organisation which had no part in the future of Northern Ireland."
|
|
An orangeman stands outside Drumcree Church
|
He called on the Revered Dr Roy Magee, chairman of the parades body, to resign because the right of his fellow parishioners were being denied.
Earlier at the Battle of Somme commemoration service in Drumcree Parish Church the Reverend John Pickering read out a statement from Church of Ireland Archbishop Robin Eames which called for calm.
Rev. Pickering, also called for a "dignified protest".
Commenting afterwards Mr Brendán Mac Cionnaith of the Garvaghy resident’s grouping said he was pleased with the peaceful nature of the protests so far and said now is the time to sit down face-to-face "with a local representatives for residents of the community" for talks.
He said both sides should enter the talks without pre-conditions orpre-conceptions. For the nationalist community, he said, this meant the possibility of a march taking place and for the loyalist community the possibility of not having a march.
Meanwhile, the RUC said there has been no attempts to get across the barricades and that the situation was calm.
Up to 1,600 additional troops had been put in place to cope with possible attempts by Orange supporters to gain access to the Garvaghy Road.
The marchers to the church this morning passed all the potential flashpoints along its outbound route without incident.
Compared to other years, the parade has been very low key and the crowd dispersed almost immediately after this morning's church service, leaving around 300 at Drumcree bridge.
Prior to the march, Portadown District Lay-Chaplain Rev Cecil Allan asked the assembled Orangemen not to "discredit their colours by responding to those who might try and provoke them".
Additional reporting by PA