Stand off in Portadown

[x65943]

The parades commission of Northern Ireland approved a contentious permit for protestant Orangemen to march through a Catholic neighborhood for the first time in 28 years.

Parades were stopped in this area after prior marches resulted in bloodshed including the murder of 3 young children by protestant arsonists.

Hundreds of protesters have now blocked the road for 2 days preventing the parade. Former IRA army council member Gerry Adams was present, as well as first minister Michelle O'neil. The orangemen have been confined to their lodge for the time being.

There is serious concern for violence if the march peoceeds, and the actions of parties on both sides is likely to take down the Northern Irish executive and lead to direct rule from London.

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/br...ange-order-march-northern-ireland-2026-09-28/

 

[emigre]

Obligatory not Irish, northern or eire but did study the Troubles at A level and degree.

I'm a big proponent of stopping the orange marches in Catholic areas. It just serves to provoke people and a representation of the long standing subjugation of the Catholic populace by the Protestants. If anyone is interested, go read about the historical gerrymandering in Northern Ireland elections.

Speaking as someone who grew up on the mainland, there's so many things about Loyalist culture which honestly sounds strange. There's stuff like this Scotland as well. To put this into context, I travel to Glasgow semi regularly for work, I'm South Asian Muslim with immigrant parents and I travel with my white British colleague and we both find sectarianism and loyalist culture to be pretty fucking weird. We talk a lot about football but cannae do that Inthe Glasgow office.