Drumcree veteran says ruling raises the question: What have the Parades Commission been doing for 28 years?
The landmark ruling by the Parades Commission to allow Orangemen down the Garvaghy Road on Sunday raises the question of why this could not have been done back in 1998.
That is the view of David Jones, a former spokesman on the Drumcree dispute during the 1990s and 2000s.
Meanwhile Nigel Dawson, Portadown’s district master, told the News Letter tonight that while he was not in a position to comment, he was aware of a “rumour” that the parade was going to be subject to legal challenge some time this evening but had not heard anything “officially”.
The Courts Service at time of writing said its judicial review office has not been formally notified of a challenge, but is expecting one – with a court hearing to follow tomorrow.
This all follows the decision by the commission to allow 35 Orangemen to walk from Drumcree Parish Church down the Garvaghy Road shortly after 8am on Sunday, with no bands and only one banner (representing Portadown District LOL 1).
Originally the application was for 60 marchers, who were to set off at 1pm.
The last time Orange sashes were seen on the Garvaghy Road was 1997.
After the Parades Commission came into being in 1998 it banned parades from the route.
Mr Jones told the News Letter that Friday has been “quite an adventurous” day.
He said the ruling is “quite right” and the “proper decision”.
"It actually perhaps shows that should they have made the proper decision almost 28 years ago, we wouldn’t have had the problems at Drumcree in between,” he said.
"We just hope now that the residents see good sense, let the parade pass peacefully, and we could all move forward with our lives.”
Mr Jones does not yet know whether he will be among those marching on Sunday.
He said of the expected legal challenge: “I don’t think it’ll be squashed, basically because I think this time the Parades Commission will have made sure that they’ve crossed all the Ts and dotted the Is and everything has gone through properly.”
If there is no injunction preventing the parade, “then it is up to residents to decide then what they’re going to do after that and I just hope cool heads would take over this situation”, asking: “What exactly are they afraid of?
"What do they think is going to happen as the parade goes past?
"If they just sit quietly and let the parade get past, I mean, who even will know?”
Objectors to the parade have cited past loyalist violence associated with the Drumcree dispute.
Mr Jones said that such acts “took place at the same time as Drumcree, but not because of it, or to support it, or at the behest of Drumcree; sadly, there was violence and murder that happened at that time, but it’s quite wrong to latch them all on to Drumcree”.
Mr Jones also envisages today’s ruling as paving the way for future parades down the road.
"I don’t see why not,” he said.
He went on to add: “I think that for once the Parades Commission have given a true, honest ruling on the information they had been given.
"Again, it calls into question what have they been doing over the past 28 years?
"We know what they’ve been doing: they’ve been giving biased decisions, basically sort of copy, paste, and send out, not really looking at the rulings at all as to what should be happening, and letting this go on for 28 years.”
Loyalist activist Jamie Bryson, who has been a pivotal part of the push for a new parade, said of the ruling: “I'm surprised that anyone is shocked by this.
"When you apply the law, the outcome was always inevitable.
"The peaceful and dignified parade must now go ahead on Sunday.”
DUP MP Carla Lockhart has said residents of the Garvaghy Road have “nothing to fear” from the parade.
Speaking at a press conference in Portadown this evening, Ms Lockhart said: “These men [the marchers] live, work and do business in this community.
“For those residents, I would just ask them not to get caught up in the hysteria that is being shown by Sinn Fein.
“Look at what is happening, look at the men who are walking.
"These are men that have stood on the hill in Drumcree for 28 years, they haven’t broken a determination of the Parades Commission.
“They are not engaging in any untoward activity.”