Drumcree Parade Ban Sparks Political Row in Northern Ireland

DUP MP Carla Lockhart told a rally in Portadown on Saturday evening that First Minister Michelle O'Neill must go. Lockhart led the parade alongside loyalist activist Jamie Bryson and said she was speechless for the first time in her life.

Thousands of people lined the streets of Portadown on Saturday night for an Orange Order parade supporting the Portadown District Lodge. The march was blocked after large crowds of protesters gathered on the Garvaghy Road.

“Walk tall, walk proud, keep the faith, and keep fighting for this wee province.”

Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant banned the parade route after police said they could not safely accommodate the procession. The Parades Commission had originally permitted the march along the mainly nationalist road.

Lockhart resigned as a DUP party officer last week amid a dispute with leader Gavin Robinson over whether deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly should leave the powersharing executive. She argued her removal would automatically remove O'Neill from the joint office.

Police are investigating potential breaches of the Parades Commission determination. O'Neill, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald, and other representatives were interviewed voluntarily by officers.

A More In Common poll of 1,019 adults found 53 percent believe Bryant was right to ban the parade. Sinn Fein support rose from 25 percent in July to 30 percent in October, while the DUP rose from 17 percent to 18 percent.