BREANDÁN Mac Cionnaith has told residents in Drumcree Community Centre this evening that he had spoken to the Secretary of State who informed him that he is prohibiting the Orange march from going down the Garvaghy Road.

Earlier, the Chief Constable had asked the Secretary of State to overturn the Parades Commission determination to allow the Drumcree march to go ahead. Jon Boutcher triggered the request to Chris Bryant under Section 9 of the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998, which gives the Secretary of State the power to "revoke, amend, or confirm" a determination of the Parades Commission. 

To wild celebrations this evening Breandán Mac Cionnaith told residents that the Secretary of State Chris Bryant would be "prohibiting the march coming down the Garvaghy Road".

Both DUP MP Carla Lockhart and legal advisor to the Orange Order Jamie Bryson have called on the Chief Constable to resign, with Ms Lockhart writing on her Facebook that "he will be remembered as someone who surrendered to the threat of violence".

Sinn Féin leaders Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O'Neill issued a joint statement on Friday evening saying that: “Today belongs to the residents of the Garvaghy Road".

They continued, saying residents "have shown remarkable strength and dignity in the face of provocation and intimidation. There will be an enormous sense of relief within the community this evening".

“For two weeks, local residents have endured fear and anxiety through no fault of their own. They never asked for this wound to be reopened, yet they faced these challenges with courage, determination and enormous resilience. They now need time and space to heal and recover."

They added: "Sinn Féin will continue to stand with the residents of the Garvaghy Road in the days, weeks and months ahead.

"We made clear that 28 years of peace was not a problem that required a solution. It was progress that needed to be protected.

“That message resonated far beyond the Garvaghy Road. People from across Ireland and further afield, from all religious backgrounds and none, answered that call. They stood in solidarity with residents and with their right to live free from sectarian harassment and intimidation.

“This small nationalist community needed that support, and it received it in abundance.

“Today, I want to commend everyone who stood firm, stood together and played their part in protecting the peace and progress that has been achieved on the Garvaghy Road.

“The people of the Garvaghy Road deserve the opportunity to get on with their lives free from sectarianism, intimidation and fear. They deserve a future in which their children and grandchildren never have to experience the same intimidation and anxiety that previous generations were forced to endure.

“People from every background and every corner of Ireland have delivered a clear and unambiguous message: Our society will not be dragged back into the past.

“They have spoken with one voice.

“There is no going back. Not now. Not ever.”

Secretary of State Chris Bryant explained his decision, saying: "The Chief Constable has advised me that it would not be possible to enable the procession to happen without a major intervention which would carry an unacceptable risk of serious injury, disorder and a wider contagion effect across Northern Ireland.

"The Parades Commission have also advised me that ’while ultimately a matter for the courts to determine, the Commission is of the view that, in light of this current assessment by the Chief Constable, the original determination does not now have enduring legal effect.

"Consequently, and in the interests of wider public interest and safety, I’ve come to the conclusion that the circumstances under which that decision was made have now changed considerably. As a result, the procession cannot go ahead as it was determined."

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the announcement from the Secretary of State "will come as a significant relief to the community on the Garvaghy Road".

"It will also be a relief to people in communities right across Northern Ireland, and the island of Ireland as a whole, who were concerned that the situation at Drumcree, if left unresolved, could have had lasting negative repercussions on community relations and reconciliation."