The Scottish Committee of the Communist Party of Britain issued a solidarity statement and expressed solidarity with residents of Garvaghy Road, praising their peaceful resistance to right-wing loyalist attempts to stir division.
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Communist Party of Britain hails residents of Garvaghy Road for their anti-fascist stance
Communist Party of Britain expresses solidarity with residents of Garvaghy Road
The statement likened their stance to the 1936 Battle of Cable Street, 90 years earlier, quoting "No compromise. They shall not pass." It questioned why 200 Police Scotland officers were deployed when the threat of violence was judged low, and why the Scottish Government has remained silent. Scottish Communists stated they support unity of Irish people of all backgrounds in the fight for national and class liberation.
The text from the Communist Party of Britain refers to the Drumcree dispute (also known as the Drumcree standoff) involving an Orange Order parade on Garvaghy Road in Portadown, Northern Ireland.
In this incident the Parades Commission authorized a restricted Orange Order parade (35 members, no bands) along Garvaghy Road, ending a ban that had been in place since 1998. Residents blocked the route in protest, leading to a tense standoff where police were unable to clear the road due to the large number of protesters (estimated 1,000–2,000 people). 200 Police Scotland officers were deployed for support.
The Garvaghy Road dispute was a major flashpoint during the 1990s "Troubles," with repeated sectarian violence around the Drumcree parade. The 2026 incident marked the first time since 1998 that the parade was permitted to proceed on this route.