High Court dismisses Orangeman's challenge to Chris Bryant's Drumcree parade ban after police warned of dissident gun attacks
Drumcree Orangemen, backed by a crowd of thousands in Portadown on 24 October, face a Belfast High Court ruling today on the bid to overturn Sir Chris Bryant's ban on their Garvaghy Road parade.
Belfast's High Court has dismissed a legal challenge brought by a Portadown Orangeman against Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant's decision to ban the Drumcree Orange Order parade, with Mr Justice Scoffield delivering his ruling on Wednesday morning. Bryant banned the march on October 9 after talks between the two sides collapsed and police exhausted every lawful option to facilitate it safely.
The Parades Commission had authorised the parade to travel its traditional route along the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road, something that had not happened in nearly 30 years.
PSNI chief constable Jon Boutcher warned Bryant that officers forcing a passage through could have provoked dissident republican gun attacks on police.
Orangemen had held their position on Drumcree Hill for almost two weeks, making repeated advances toward the police line in an effort to proceed with the march.
