UK government blocks Northern Ireland march after standoff fueled sectarian tensions

LONDON (AP) — The British government has blocked a contentious march from taking place in Northern Ireland after a two-week standoff between groups that support the region’s continued union with the United Kingdom and those who favor reunification with the Republic of Ireland.

Northern Ireland Secretary of State Chris Bryant intervened Friday night to ban the procession along Garvaghy Road in Portadown, saying it wasn’t possible to find a compromise between the union-supporting Orange Order and residents of the traditionally republican area through which it wanted to march.

“I’ve decided that it’s not in the public interest for it to proceed, and I’ve therefore banned the procession,” Bryant said.

The standoff grew out of the traditional marches held by unionist groups during the summer months to celebrate their Protestant roots and historic ties to the U.K. The marches have long caused tensions with the largely Catholic republican community, which says they are intentionally provocative and fuel conflict .

Tensions flared again this year after a court ruling seemingly paved the way for the Orange Order to march down Garvaghy Road for the first time in almost 30 years. Garvaghy Road was a notorious flash point between the republican and unionist communities in the years before the 1998 Good Friday Agreement largely ended the bloodshed in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles.

When Orange Order members gathered for their planned march on Sept. 27, they were blocked by republican protesters, including First Minister Michelle O’Neill, the republican politician who leads Northern Ireland’s regional government.

The two sides have been locked in a stalemate ever since, raising concerns that the dispute could trigger a broader conflict in Northern Ireland.

Bryant said he held talks with both the Garvaghy Road residents and the Orange Order but had been unable to find a resolution.

“I heard the concerns of people on all sides and I only regret that we could not reach a compromise on a way forward and that many residents across Portadown have felt anxious and worried,” he said. “With this in mind, I call for all protests, rallies and demonstrations to be stood down. There is no excuse for a continued ratcheting up of tensions.”