Lodge hosts ‘virtual 12th’ as parade goes online
ORANGE walks in Scotland will be moved to online this year after the parades were cancelled due to the coronavirus crisis. The Grand Orange Lodge is planning a “virtual 12th” that will see supporters gathering in cyberspace rather than on the streets for the annual Boyne parade in July.
Its online event will show highlights of previous parades as well as speeches and bible readings.
Leaders say they believe the online event will give the Lodge time to reflect after continuous controversy at marches in recent years.
In 2018, a parish priest was spat at by a parade follower outside Glasgow’s St Alphonsus Church.
Recent research by the Scottish Government found that the sectarian attack led to “heightened tensions” in the city.
Tensions continued last year when Loyalist protesters were met with Republican marches in September.
Grand master of the Lodge Jim McHarg said: “We are going to have a virtual parade made up of footage of old parades and speeches.
“It will be like the day would have panned out but it will be on YouTube or Facebook.
“It will be a bit like watching Sky Sports just now with football matches from years ago.”
McHarg revealed Glasgow
City
Council set up remote meetings between the Lodge and the Catholic Church in an attempt to settle disputes which emerged during past parades.
He said this year would be used to “meet people and get to some kind of decent outcome where we can have our parades but where they cause as little disruption as possible”.
He added: “Can we do something different? I am glad to say we are working with the Catholic Church.”