Drumcree: Number of bands performing at Portadown protest parade 'could double by Saturday' says Orange district master
The Orange district master for Portadown has said that the expects the number of participants in an upcoming protest parade in the town to keep growing.
The parade is set for Saturday night, and at time of writing had 10 bands listed as taking part on the 11/1 form.
Nigel Dawson told the News Letter that he expects this will roughly double by the weekend.
Some 5,000 participants are currently listed in the notification to the Parades Commission, and the number of expected supporters is listed as 10,000.
The parade is set for the town centre; it does not go onto the Garvaghy Road, but skirts along its southernmost edge.
At time of writing it is not listed as “sensitive” by the commission.
Mr Dawson told the News Letter that the 11/1 document is “a rolling document, a live document”.
"We already have six bands from Portadown that attend all our parades – that’s a given,” he said.
"So I suspect we’re probably looking closer to 20, I’d think.”
He added: “We’re obviously getting text messages and e-mails and we’re also getting confirmation that there’s buses coming from Tyrone, buses from Bangor, buses from Ballymena.”
Whilst the Saturday march is a notified parade, several bands around the country have publicly stated that, in protest at the failure to complete the legally-mandated Drumcree parade, they will no longer notify the PSNI or Parades Commission of any parades.
Asked about this, Mr Dawson said: “We wouldn’t get involved in bands and decision-making – that’s an issue for them to look at.”
In a message posted late on Monday night, Portadown district had said “we encourage the entire Orange family to come out in their colours, alongside the wider unionist community, to demonstrate the strength of feeling within our community” this Saturday and “make your voice heard”.
The parade is slated to begin at Watson Street at 7pm and will travel westward to the town plaza, where a rally will be held, before heading back to Watson Street.
The district’s message said: “For us, this is about more than a parade.
"It is about the rule of law, the right to peaceful assembly, and the principle that lawful decisions must be upheld.
"Our community has every reason to be angry and deeply disappointed at the decision to overturn our lawful parade determination following the threat of Republican violence.
"We believe the actions of the Chief Constable and Secretary of State have undermined confidence in the rule of law and sent a deeply troubling message about whether lawful decisions will be respected when faced with threats and intimidation.”
Bands wishing to take part have been asked to contact the Portadown District LOL 1 Facebook page.
Among those recirculating this message were DUP MP for Upper Bann Carla Lockhart and the Ulster Bands Forum.
Sinn Fein, the SDLP, and Alliance have all been asked to comment on the upcoming parade, but no responses were received at time of writing.