Thousands of people gathered to protest on the Garvaghy Road in Portadown yesterday as an Orange Order parade was given the go ahead to march along the road.
Since 1998, the Parades Commission has banned the Orange Order from marching back along Garvaghy Road.
However, a Portadown Orangeman recently challenged this ban in the High Court. During the case, the Commission admitted that not all six of its members had approved the final decision before publishing it.
Because proper procedures weren't followed, the court overturned the original ban, allowing the Orange Order to reapply. Their new proposal asks for just 60 members to walk quietly down Garvaghy Road without a band, down from their usual parade of hundreds of members and two bands.
Thousands of protesters blocked the Garvaghy Road yesterday in an attempt to prevent the Orange Order march.
Senior Sinn Féin figures, including First Minister Michelle O'Neill, joined protesters on Garvaghy Road over the weekend. "This community do not want this, they do not want this march," she told reporters before leaving the area shortly after midnight. And tonight, I believe, is another victory for this community in standing steadfast for the right to live free from sectarian harassment and intimidation," O'Neill said.
Garvaghy Road residents are set to meet NI secretary for talks on Drumcree parade amid stand off.
Residents who have memories of the Garvaghy Road during the troubles have been speaking out and reflecting on the latest events.
"Our children are having cross community events from the other side," said one local mother, pushing back against claims of sectarianism. "I work with people from the other side and they are ashamed of what's happening, 28 years later. It should never have happened. I'd be afraid for my children. I've a 26-year-old now, I don't want to bring him to something like that," a resident told RTE.
The Taoiseach has stated that the recent events pose a risk of undermining years of working on improving community relations in the area.
Micheál Martin has called on parties to engage to reach a solution. According to RTE, Martin said: "No one wants to go back to the past divisions, to past trauma, that we experienced at Garvaghy Road/Drumcree in the past. "I would point out that over the last number of decades, community relations in this area have improved immensely."
"And very significant work is being put in by residents' groups, by community groups, to develop community relationships, to put them on a much more sustainable level. What's happening over the last number of days threatens to undermine all of that. And I think we have to stand back [and], as I say, have a clear vision as to the future. And the future has to be one of engagement, of dialogue, walking through these problems as we did in the past. And to avoid the tensions and the trauma and the divisions of the past. That should be all of our objectives. And that's what I would say to all of the political parties here," Martin continued.
