Portadown District Loyal Orange Lodge No. 1 has announced plans for a major parade and rally in the town next month – but have yet to notify the Parades Commission.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the District said a Parade and Rally will be held in Portadown on Saturday, October 24 with “further details to be announced over the coming weekend”.
The Lodge has urged “the wider Unionist family” to attend.
“We encourage the wider Unionist family to come out, stand together and show their support. Your continued solidarity and encouragement are greatly appreciated,” the statement read.
However, Portadown District LOL 1 also stressed that no related activity is scheduled for the days ahead.
“For the avoidance of doubt, there will be no parade or rally taking place in Portadown this weekend. We ask everyone to take note of this clarification,” it said.
Today’s announcement comes in the wake of the Secretary of State’s decision, following talks with the Chief Constable Jon Boutcher, to ban the previously‑planned Drumcree march amid police warnings of an “unacceptable” risk of serious disorder if it went ahead.
That intervention halted the contentious Garvaghy Road procession that had been at the centre of the latest escalation in the long‑running Drumcree dispute.
However, the decision has not been well-received within the unionist community and already an un-notified parade has taken in Belfast in protest.
The Portadown District said it had been “deeply encouraged” by the backing it has received during the latest phase of the stand‑off.
“Over the past three weeks, we have been deeply encouraged by the support shown to us by our local community, the wider Orange family and the Unionist community as a whole,” the statement continued.
“On behalf of Portadown District LOL 1, we extend our sincere thanks to everyone who has stood with us. Your support has been greatly valued, and we look forward to providing further details in the coming days.”
As of Wednesday evening, no application for a parade in Portadown on October 24 has been made to the Parades Commission, according to its website.
However, Portadown District have organised a parade involving the Edgarstown Accordion Band for Sunday, October 25.
