KowalskiL PORTADOWN Orangemen's campaign to march along the Garvaghy Road moved to a new phase this week when they decided to set up a meeting with NI Justice Minister David Ford.
After Sunday's weekly abortive attempt to "complete" their Drumcree march � they were stooped at the bottom of Drumcree Hill by the PSNI � District No 1 officers issued a statement insisting they would be calling on Mr Ford "to sort out the two-tier justice system that exists in the province, and which is exemplified in the Portadown situation".
The move comes after top police officers issued a statement last week, criticising the fact that a number of illegal dissident parades had not resulted in legal action.
A spokesman said, "As former Prime Minister Tony Blair wrote in his autobiography, the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition have been totally unreasonable in the parade negotiations, personified by Brendan McKenna, who � according to Mr Blair � takes unreasonableness to an art form.
"Yet the same Brendan McKenna takes part in illegal walks organised by the dissident group eirigi which refuses even to apply for permission to march � as was the case in the 'Welcome Home' parade for the troops in Belfast two years ago.
"We are particularly incensed at the recent republican parade in Lurgan where the organisers did not apply for permission, yet when they reached police lines close to the PSNI station, they were simply turned around, told to be good boys and girls and allowed to walk back the route they came.
"The same happened in Armagh, and no action was taken. Both these parades took place since we were banned this year from our return parade via the Garvaghy Road in July.
"We are hoping to meet David Ford within a month or so and put these points to him in a bid to have people rewarded for upholding the law and others punished for breaking it. A two-tier system exists in Northern Ireland."
The Portadown Orangemen hit the headlines prior to this year's abortive 'Drumcree Sunday' return parade when they issued a statement that they would not be applying to the Parades Commission for permission.
The law states that the 11/1 form must be submitted within 28 days. However, the form was handed in just a week beforehand, and the commission allowed the march.
"There's no way the Portadown Orangemen want to break the law," said the spokesman. "We bent it on that occasion, but we're not stooping to the tactics of the dissidents. We're law-abiding people.
"On the Sunday after the Lurgan dissidents got off with breaking the law, we were particularly vociferous at police lines. But we were wasting our breath.
We know the police have recommended prosecution on a number of these illegal parades, but nothing is being done, and yet if we tried the same tactic, we'd be arrested and our feet wouldn't touch the ground between Drumcree and the police station."
The GRRC insist that the Drumcree parade issue is settled, "It is now a dead duck and everyone should move on for the sake of Portadown."
A spokesman for Mr Ford's office said the Portadown Orangemen should put the request in writing and such a meeting would be arranged through the minister's diary secretary.
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