THE tenth anniversary of the blocking of the Drumcree Parade from the Garvaghy Road passed off quietly yesterday, with Portadown Orangemen making a verbal protest at the police barrier at not being allowed to follow their desired route.
The barrier itself was the simplest seen in years and the numbers of police were well down, even on last year's peaceful protest.
Around 200 Orangemen from Portadown and supporting lodges marched to Drumcree Parish church for the religious service
which commemorates thos ewho lost their lives in the Battle of the Somme in !916.
The ex-servicemen's lodge was one of those which turned out to support their Portadown brethren.
Following the service, the orangemen formed up and walked to the police barrier where Portadown lodge spokesman David Jones made a verbal protest to the police officer in charge about not being allowed to proceed down the Garvaghy Road.
Mr Jones said that despite it being 10 years since the last parade was allowed down the road, the determination of the Portadown lodge to once again walk the route was undiminished.
"Our determination is as strong as it was on day one," he said, before calling for the sacking of the Parades Commission as it is "part of the problem".
He said Portadown orangemen wanted Secretary of State Shaun Woodward to dismiss the parades body and take direct responsibility for decisions on parades until an "acceptable" alternative is found.
Following Mr Jones' statement to police, Portadown District Master Darryl Hewitt made a speech calling for dialogue with the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition saying that follwoing the Order's meeting with Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, the Catholic Primate Cardinal Sean Brady and the SDLP "everyone is talking to us, except the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition".
Mr Hewitt said the Portadown orangemen were committed to face to face talks under an independent chairman, with no preconditions.
He said: "To the people on the Garvaghy Road, I would say, it is over to you."
