Garvaghy Road residents to meet with PSNI and Secretary of State, as march blocked

Following on from a weekend of legal battles and stand offs, residents of Garvaghy Road in Portadown are due to hold talks with the Secretary of State of Northern Ireland and the PSNI chief constable.

Members of the Orange Order had been told that they could go ahead with their walk at around 8am, but throughout the night and early morning, people began to block access to Garvaghy Road. This led police to halt the march and turn the Orangemen back, saying they were unable to facilitate it safely.

There has been a spate of back-and-forths from politicians, with Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy calling on the Secretary of State to overturn the Parades Commission’s decision to allow the march to go ahead, calling it “illogical”.

Meanwhile, the DUP has accused First Minister Michelle O’Neill of breaking the law by remaining on the road with the protestors.

More to follow.