Parades Commission
Decision on 2 July 2000 Orange March

DETERMINATION IN RELATION TO THE PORTADOWN
DISTRICT LOL NO 1 PARADE IN PORTADOWN ON SUNDAY, 2
JULY 2000 

The following is the decision of the Parades Commission in relation
to the Portadown District LOL No 1 parade in Portadown on
Sunday, 2 July 2000. 

Section 8(1) of the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998,
provides that: 

“The Commission may issue a determination in respect of a
proposed public procession imposing on the persons organising or
taking part in it such conditions as the Commission considers
necessary.” 

We have noted the details provided on Form 11/1 submitted on 3
June 2000 about the parade proposed by the Portadown District
LOL No 1 on Sunday, 2 July 2000. 

We have considered the need to issue a determination as outlined
above, against the factors described in our Guidelines document. 

Decision 

The Commission understands that the parade in question is not the
traditional Portadown District LOL No 1 Drumcree Church parade,
which is notified to take place this year on 9th July. 

This is a very large parade, comprising 3,500 people accompanied
by three bands. While the parade as notified will not disrupt
commercial life in Portadown, the parade and any required security
operation will undoubtedly cause considerable disruption to the life
of the community along the notified route. 

Both the outward route and the return route pass sensitive interface
areas. The Commission has repeatedly set out its position over the
past two years about parades in Portadown. In the Drumcree
context, the Portadown District’s decision to notify a parade along
the Garvaghy Road a week before its traditional church parade, and
to notify a series of ‘support’ parades to Drumcree Church in the
following days, risks being interpreted as a deliberate attempt to
raise tension. In the continued absence of local accommodation,
the Commission cannot see how a parade could pass along either
the notified outward route or the notified return route without having
an adverse impact on relationships within the community and a
consequent risk of public disorder. 

While Portadown District LOL No 1 complied with the Code of
Conduct during the annual Drumcree Church service parade last
year, we are aware of several breaches of the Code by participants
of parades organised in support of the Portadown District. 

DETERMINATION 

The Commission’s determination is that the following
conditions are imposed on all persons organising or taking
part in the parade organised by Portadown District LOL No 1
on Sunday 2 July 2000. 

1. In respect of the outward route, the parade is prohibited
from entering that part of the notified route between the
junction of High Street and Woodhouse Street and the
junction of Obins Street and Charles Street, or any part of
that route. The parade shall process from its point of
departure at Carleton Street into Church Street, Market Street
and High Street to the junction of Castle Street, turning back
along High Street and Market Street, before turning into West
Street. From West Street it shall turn into Northway and join
the Corcrain Road. It shall then process along the Corcrain
Road into Charles Street, along Charles Street to the
Dungannon Road – Moy Road roundabout, along the
Dungannon Road to the Rectors Turn, Drumcree Road to
Drumcree Church. 

2. In respect of the return parade, the parade is prohibited
from proceeding beyond Drumcree Parish Church, Drumcree
Road, or entering that part of the notified route which
includes the entire length of the Garvaghy Road including
Parkmount and Victoria Terrace. The return parade shall,
therefore, retrace the outward route as detailed above, or
alternatively parade participants shall disperse no later than
2.30pm from Drumcree Parish Church. 

3. In addition the following conditions are imposed: 

a. When the parade is in progress there shall be no undue
stoppages or delays. 

b. The organiser shall arrange for the presence of an
adequate number of stewards to ensure that all parade
participants behave in an orderly manner. 

c. The organiser shall ensure that only the three notified
bands, namely the Star of David Accordion Band, the
Edgarstown Accordion Band and the Mavemacullen
Accordion Band shall accompany the procession. 

d. The parade organiser shall ensure that all directions by
police in relation to the parade are promptly obeyed. 

e. The parade organiser shall ensure that these conditions
are drawn to the attention of all participants including bands
at the assembly point.

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