Sinn Fein claim over Drumcree protest ‘ruling breach’
Sinn Fein assembly member John O’Dowd has claimed the Orange Order has breached a Parades Commission ruling during a protest at Drumcree in Portadown.
He claimed the Orangemen walked from Drumcree church to the edge of the nationalist Ballyoran estate on Wednesday night before stopping.
The Orange Order said they would not comment until they had “all the facts”.
It has been banned from parading along the town’s Garvaghy Road since 1998.
Mr O’Dowd said “tensions were running high” in the area on Wednesday night.
He said the Orange Order needed to explain the actions they had taken “in the most sensitive of areas in relation to marches, Portadown”.
In a statement, police said they had “received reports from the community that there were possible breaches of the Parades Commission determination in respect of this parade”.
They said they were investigating the circumstances.
