BELFAST, Northern Ireland, July 8 (UPI) -- A plan to defuse the explosive issue of sectarian parades in Northern Ireland has been rejected by the Orange Order, a militant Protestant group.
The Grand Orange Lodge issued a statement Wednesday saying the proposed law had been found unacceptable by a 37-32 vote, the Belfast Telegraph reported. The statement used the words "in its present form."
The Orange Order has traditionally held large parades and bonfires on July 12 to commemorate King William III's victory over James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. The defeat of the Catholic James guaranteed Britain's future as a Protestant country.
In the past, the "marching season" was so tense guidebooks often warned tourists to stay away from Northern Ireland in July.
Sinn Fein, the leading nationalist party, and the Democratic Unionist Party, the largest Protestant one, had signed on to the draft law. Its provisions include guaranteeing residents freedom "from sectarian harassment" while also banning any interference with a permitted parade or protest.
