Musicians back Garvaghy Road residents in parade dispute

A group of well-known musicians, among them Noel Gallagher, Johnny Marr, Kneecap and Paul Weller, have put their names to a letter supporting people living on Garvaghy Road in Portadown. The letter challenges a court ruling that permits the Orange Order to march through the largely nationalist area, which would be the first such march there since 1998. It further requests that an unbiased mediator step in as the standoff continues.

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The open letter supports people living on Garvaghy Road in Portadown, County Armagh, where a deadlock has lasted eleven days. A High Court ruling eased restrictions, allowing the Orange Order to march through the mainly nationalist area for the first time since 1998. The Parades Commission had blocked the route for 28 years after serious violence, including the deaths of three young brothers in a UVF petrol-bomb attack.

The permitted parade would involve 35 Orange Order members and start at 8am instead of 1pm. First Minister Michelle O’Neill asked Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant to reconsider. The letter seeks an independent international mediator from outside Ireland and Britain. Signatories include Noel Gallagher, Johnny Marr, Kneecap, Paul Weller, Nadine Shah, Robert Del Naja, Suggs, Kevin Rowland, Susan Sarandon, Maxine Peake, Ken Loach and Adrian Dunbar.

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