UK government bans Protestant march in Catholic district of Northern Ireland

The United Kingdom government has banned a Protestant Orange Order parade from marching through a predominantly Catholic district in Northern Ireland, Politico Europe reported. Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant announced the decision late Friday following a 13-day standoff in the mostly Protestant town of Portadown. The U-turn reverses a decision that would have permitted the march through the Catholic area for the first time in 28 years. [1][3][4]

The decision delighted Irish republicans but angered British unionists in the region, Politico Europe reported. Before the reversal, a protest had blocked the parade. Al Jazeera reported that Northern Irish police contacted representatives of the republican party Sinn Fein as part of an investigation into the protest. [1][2][5]

Sinn Fein leads Northern Ireland's power-sharing executive alongside the Democratic Unionist Party, Al Jazeera reported. The Democratic Unionist Party called for the prosecution of Sinn Fein lawmakers who took part in the demonstration. Sinn Fein confirmed in a social media statement that police had made contact regarding the inquiry. [2][5]

Portadown is located in County Armagh, where the Orange Order traditionally seeks to march its route to and from Drumcree Church. Resident groups in the Catholic area view the parade as sectarian and supremacist, leading to recurring standoffs over summer march routes. [7]

Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom and is governed by a devolved power-sharing executive established under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. The agreement ended decades of conflict known as the Troubles, which claimed over 3,500 lives. [6][8]