Orange walk rerouted
AN Orange march will be rerouted after it was revealed riot police would be sent out if it wasn’t.
The Orange Order said they were ‘extremely concerned’ and said it was discrimination in its purest form.
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The potential for public disorder is extremely high
RIOT police would have been deployed to combat a major counter-protest if an Orange march went past St Alphonsus’ Church this weekend.
Superintendent John McBride made the claim as he revealed that five times as many specialist officers than normal would have been drawn from all over Scotland to police the parade.
It came as online groups threatened to defend the church, in Calton, following ugly scenes on July 7 when Canon Tom White was allegedly attacked during the annual Boyne march.
Glasgow City Council’s public processions committee has banned the Orange Order from walking past the church tomorrow.
Supt McBride he told members of the committee that intelligence had led him to believe there was the potential for nasty scenes if the Orange Order were to walk down Stevenson Street.
He said: “Police Scotland are not asking that this particular route is never used again.
“The intelligence does indicate that there is a request from a group who has called for ‘any other like-minded individuals’ to attend. It invites certain elements of society who potentially see this as an opportunity to cause disorder.
“If this parade was allowed to go ahead it would be specially trained public processions officers. It would be at least five times the usual number of officers.”
Ronnie Convery, representing the Archdiocese of Glasgow, said: “On Saturday St Alphonsus’ will be open for prayer and religious services just as it was a month ago when clergy suffered shameful violence and intimidation. People are afraid.
“The police report highlighted tensions in the area and on social media. These tensions have ramped up in the last 24 hours. The potential for public disorder is extremely high.
“We want to live in peace. Our people must feel secure.
“While we all respect the rights of people to march and demonstrate those rights cannot be seen in isolation. They cannot be exercised come hell or high water.”
James G MacLean, representing the Orange Order, hit out at the events of July 7 but questioned the need to ban the parade going past the church this weekend.
He added: “We have a number of concerns with the suggestion that the parade be re-routed because it happens to be on the route of a particular Roman Catholic church. We’ve already made it clear that we deplore the obscenity that took place previously.
“St Alphonsus’ Church has never been attacked by an Orange march and I don’t think there is any danger of that happening. It is an entirely peaceful Christian organisation which condemns thuggery and does not in any way support violence or any attack on clergy or people of different faiths.”
Committee members unanimously agreed to stop the march going past the church this weekend but insisted that this isn’t a blanket ban.
County Grand Master of Glasgow, Eddie McGonnell said: “This is denying the parade from going westwards into the city so it’s an exclusion zone.
“We take punitive measures against anyone who misbehaves in general but particularly during a parade. We will expel someone from the institution if they act in an unchristian manner.”
A spokesman for the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland added: “We are extremely concerned at the decision to re-route a parade and effectively ban us from certain streets.
“It is discrimination in its purest form. Glasgow City Council has now established the first ‘no-go zones’ in Glasgow based purely on your religion.”
The walk will now assemble at Tullis Street at 10am before starting at 10.30am.
The march will then go through Main Street, MacKeith Street, James Street, The Green, Newhall Street, Dunn Street, London Road, Bridgton Cross, James Street, MacKeith Street, Main Street and Tullis Street where it will disperse.