Police Defend Decision Not to Clear Garvaghy Road

Removing Garvaghy Road protesters ‘jeopardised’ public safety, PSNI officer says

The removal of protesters from the Garvaghy Road in Portadown on Sunday would have led to public safety being “significantly jeopardised”, police have said.

"People seriously hurt and disorder inevitable" if PSNI had forcibly removed protesters from Garvaghy Road, says senior officer

“To remove an estimated 1,000 people from the Garvaghy Road, including women, children and older people, would have required such a significant use of force that public safety would have been significantly jeopardised, people seriously hurt and disorder inevitable,” a senior PSNI officer said.

Clearing Garvaghy Road by force would have been ‘disproportionate’ and left people ‘seriously hurt’, say PSNI

Senior officer says removing 1,000 protesters, including women and children, would have made disorder ‘inevitable’, as dedicated enquiry team set up to investigate blockade

Police defend decision not to clear Garvaghy Road

Orange Order members remain at Drumcree with efforts set to intensify to find a political solution to a contentious parade which brought thousands of protesters on to the streets yesterday.

PSNI says forcing 1,000 protesters off Garvaghy Road risked serious injuries and disorder

The scene at Drumcree Church in Portadown Monday 28 September 2026 A senior PSNI officer has said forcibly removing an estimated 1,000 people from the Garvaghy Road in Portadown would have risked serious injuries and made disorder “inevitable”, as police confirmed a dedicated enquiry team is now examining evidence of suspected offences. The assessment meant officers did not facilitate Portadown District Orange Order’s parade along the route dete…