AN Orange Order parade down the Garvaghy Road in Portadown has not taken place after thousands of protestors blocked the road overnight.
 
It comes after an early morning court ruling gave the Orange Order parade the go ahead just hours before the march was due to take place.

Last night the High Court in Belfast issued a temporary injunction to stop the Orange Order from marching down the Garvaghy Road on Sunday morning following Friday's Parades Commission decision. But after lengthy legal proceedings that decision was overturned.

Yesterday morning the Garvaghy Road residents and their legal team arrived at the High Court in Belfast this morning for the start of their legal challenge against Friday's Parades Commission decision to permit an Orange Order march though the Nationalist district of Portadown on Sunday morning.

Breandán Mac Cionnaith from the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition this morning
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Breandán Mac Cionnaith from the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition this morning

After hours of legal deliberations, Breandán Mac Cionnaith from the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition addressed supporters outside the High Court and told them that they were only half way there as he expected the Orange Order to appeal the judge's decision.

"We've won the first step," he said, "This isn't over yet because the Orange Order will no doubt be lodging an appeal very shortly. That appeal will be heard this evening, but as I've said we've got the first step in our favour but now we must ensure that we get the next step in our favour.

"I know people are very anxious down in Portadown and the anxiety will remain until they get that second decision this evening. There is no sense of triumphalism or anything from myself or any members of our community in Portadown. There are no celebrations. We came looking justice and we will be happy when we finally get the justice. We're half way there, we'll take our time and we'll get to the very end."

In a statement Phoenix Law, who represented the Garvaghy residents, said "High Court has granted interim relief to the Garvaghy Road residents, stopping the Orange march down Garvaghy Road tomorrow, Sunday."

On arrival at the courts on Saturday morning the Garvaghy Road residents were greeted with applause by a large crowd of supporters. Breandán Mac Cionnaith addressed those gathered. Among those present were prominent Sinn Féin and SDLP politicians.

Mr Mac Cionnaith said the law is supposed to be about justice and they were here to seek justice for their community in Portadown. He said that since yesterday’s Parades Commission decision the Garvaghy residents had received huge support from throughout Ireland.
 
“Ireland is behind us," he said. "Ireland is standing for justice here.”
 
He added: “For this just to be a so-called small, normal little demonstration by the Orange Order, the Chief Constable is going to have to explain why he decided at the beginning of the week that they needed reinforcements from England.”

Jamie Bryson, Carlla Lockhart MP and Diane Dodds were among the unionist representatives at court today
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Jamie Bryson, Carlla Lockhart MP and Diane Dodds were among the unionist representatives at court today

Earlier, unionist representatives arrived at the High Court.

On Friday Breandán Mac Cionnaith spoke of the Garvaghy Road community's shock at the Parades Commission decision.

"Between 1996 and 1999, 21 people lost their lives at the hands of those acting on behalf of the Orange Order at Drumcree," he said. "21 people, 21 deaths, 21 families.”
 
He added: "Every one of those deaths, every one of those murders, impacted deeply on our community. For somehow or other we felt that we were to blame for standing up for our rights that those people had to die. So when we go into this court tomorrow it’s not just about our community now that we are thinking about, we are going in there on behalf of those 21 families who lost their lives at the hands of loyalists."

Meanwhile, this afternoon the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition lodged an application for a counter-protest at 7am on Sunday morning.

They said it would involve an estimated 5,000 participants, according to the application, which is currently listed on the Parades Commission website.

The outward parade is listed as taking place from 7am to 11am, with the return route requested from 1pm to 4pm.