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Chief Constable Jon Boutcher revealed that the ongoing policing efforts related to the Drumcree parade dispute have already cost approximately £3 million. Addressing the Policing Board, he acknowledged the challenges involved but emphasized that despite significant tension, no violence has occurred so far. The dispute centers on an Orange Order parade planned for Portadown, which nationalist residents along Garvaghy Road strongly oppose. Since Sunday morning, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has maintained a substantial presence to uphold peace and order.
Boutcher stressed the gravity of the situation, warning that forcing the parade through the Garvaghy Road area could have devastating consequences for Northern Ireland. “The consequences of police forcing an Orange Order march down the Garvaghy Road could be catastrophic,” he said. He clarified that the police’s role is to implement the Parades Commission’s determination, which legally permits the Orange Order to parade on the route. However, he made it clear that this does not mean police must facilitate the parade “at all costs,” especially if it involves moving through what he described as a “hostile crowd.”
During the Policing Board meeting, it was also disclosed that an investigation has been launched into Sinn Féin’s Deirdre Hargey following her participation in an unlawful protest against the parade. An attempt from the Democratic Unionist Party’s Trevor Clarke to exclude Hargey from the board meeting was unsuccessful, allowing her to attend despite the ongoing probe. Meanwhile, Boutcher indicated that the PSNI is currently unable to enforce the Parades Commission’s ruling for the march, instead allowing space for continued negotiations. He reassured the board that he is continually reviewing the policing strategy but considers it unnecessary to intervene legally at this moment, stating the priority is “creating the time to resolve this.”
The inquiry into the unlawful actions that prevented the parade is fully resourced and ongoing, with potential offences including unnotified protest and obstruction of a lawful parade. Boutcher emphasized the thoroughness and urgency of the evidence-gathering process: “I want it to be thorough but I want it to be expeditious to send a clear message. The rule of law will come through.” Meanwhile, the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition is set to present a new legal challenge regarding the parade this Friday.
The Parades Commission’s decision last Friday allowed the Orange Order parade to proceed along Garvaghy Road but with restrictions, including an earlier start time of 08:00 rather than the requested 13:00 and limiting participants to 35 instead of 60. However, the coalition’s initial legal challenge led to a High Court injunction banning the parade, citing the potential for escalation in Northern Ireland. This injunction was overturned on appeal after an Orange Order member challenged it, and the residents’ coalition lost a subsequent High Court appeal. The Drumcree parade dispute has a long history dating back to the mid-1990s, including periods of violence and riots that threatened the peace process. The Parades Commission has regulated these contentious marches since 1998, frequently restricting the Orange Order’s right to parade along the Garvaghy Road, a stance contested by the Order over the past three decades
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