A controversial loyalist parade down a nationalist street in Portadown has been temporarily injuncted after a high court judge in Belfast urged all sides to “step back from the abyss” and take responsible decisions for “the sake of everyone in Northern Ireland”, according to the Guardian.
The ruling temporarily blocks a decision that would have allowed the Orange Order to march down Garvaghy Road, which runs through a mainly nationalist area of the town.
The Guardian reported that the decision was made amid rising fears that the parade could unleash fresh sectarian violence.
Concerns were further heightened by a request for a countermarch in the mainly nationalist area, according to the same report.
Andy Burnham called for calm as fears of unrest grew following that request, the Guardian said.
The injunction is described as temporary, meaning the underlying dispute over whether the parade can proceed remains unresolved.
Why it matters
Parades along contested routes in Northern Ireland have long been a flashpoint for sectarian tension, and Garvaghy Road in particular has a history of dispute. A court intervention and public calls for calm underline concerns that the standoff could escalate into wider unrest.