Protesters block restricted Orange Order parade route

A restricted Orange Order parade on Garvaghy Road in Portadown remained stalled Sunday after protesters blocked the route, despite an overnight Court of Appeal ruling that allowed the march to proceed under conditions set by the Parades Commission. The commission permitted the Drumcree parade along the mainly nationalist road for the first time since 1998, limiting participation to 35 people and setting an 8 a.m. start. After an initial injunction halted the event, the Court of Appeal upheld the commission’s decision at about 2:15 a.m. Sunday. The reports said the march had not proceeded while the road remained blocked; its eventual outcome was not established. Protesters gathered on the route, with many linking arms, as Orangemen waited at Drumcree Church, the parade’s starting point. Police used loudspeakers to warn those blocking the road that they could face arrest and prosecution. Accounts differed on the size of the crowd, describing it as hundreds or thousands, and on the protest’s character. Some described an orderly gathering, while another account reported fireworks and masked participants.