A stand-off over a decision to allow a parade down a predominantly nationalist road could lead to issues with Orange Order marches in other areas, according to a residents’ group.
There have been 11 days of deadlock between Garvaghy Road residents and the local Orange Order over the proposed march in Portadown, County Armagh.
The Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition (GRRC) met 11 nationalist residents’ groups on Wednesday. Afterwards, Linda O’Neill of the GRRC said: “This is no longer just about the Garvaghy Road.”
Earlier, it emerged Oasis’ Noel Gallagher, Oscar winner Susan Sarandon and Line of Duty star Adrian Dunbar were among dozens to sign a letter in support of residents.
Other people to have signed the letter supporting residents in the Drumcree dispute include musician Paul Weller, Derry Girls star Siobhán McSweeney and The Smiths’ Johnny Marr.
On Wednesday, residents from the Garvaghy Road met groups including the Bogside Residents Association in Londonderry, and the Lower Ormeau Concerned Community, and Crumlin Road and Ardoyne Residents Association, both of which are in Belfast.
In a statement last month, the groups expressed their full support for the Garvaghy Road residents.
They said they had developed “accommodations” around Orange parades in their respective areas over time.
The statement last month added: “Our concern is that such accommodations could unravel if the Orange Order continue to insist on parading down Garvaghy Road, or indeed pursue the same demands in other nationalist/Catholic areas.”
On Wednesday, O’Neill said: At the minute the support from all over Ireland, particularly all of the other communities in the north of Ireland coming here and supporting us, are propping up our community right now; we have never seen support and solidarity like it.
“The Orange Order needs to take responsibility, and so do the Parades Commission for making this issue bigger than the Garvaghy Road, this is no longer just about the Garvaghy Road, this is about all of us.”
Solicitor Pádraig Ó Muirigh said the meeting had been organised as an “act of solidarity and support” for the Garvaghy residents from residents who are “dealing with similar disputes across the country”.
He said that many were concerned the progress that had been made over the years regarding marches might unravel due to the “recklessness of the Orange Order and the ineptitude of the parades commission”.
