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The Royal Black Institution, who are linked with the Orange Order, want to parade near Parkhead next month.
By Graham Fraser
25 July 2011
Celtic Park: Organisers want the parades to take place near the stadium only minutes after the end of a match. Pic: © STV
Police are opposing a series of contentious parades near Celtic Park after the end of a home match.
Three branches of the Royal Black Institution, which is linked to the Orange Order, want to march near the stadium on August 13 just as thousands of Celtic and Dundee United supporters leave Parkhead after their Scottish Premier League match.
The marches, in their current form, have been opposed by council officials and police, but the organisers say they have "no intention" of changing their plans.
On Thursday, councillors on Glasgow City Council's Public Processions Committee will determine if they can go ahead after hearing submissions from council officers, the police and organisers.
Councillors will consider a request from the local authority to reroute the parades and change their dates and times, in consultation with the council and police.
Twenty-nine individual parades have been proposed in Glasgow by the Royal Black Institution on August 13 to mark the 322nd anniversary of the relief of Derry. As well as the Celtic match in the east end, with an estimated 60,000 crowd, police will also be in attendance at the World Pipe Band Championships, with 40,000 spectators.
Three perceptories - numbers 859, 288 and 672 - want to take part in a march near Parkhead. Another - number 742 - has been called in to councillors after concerns over city centre disruption. Councillors have been asked to make a decision after the council, the police and organisers could not agree.
The perceptories notified their intentions in February and March to parade near Celtic Park at tea time on August 13. However, after the fixture list was announced in June, the council and police met to discuss their concerns and contacted the Royal Black groups to ask if they would change the date.
In the case of Glasgow Royal Black Perceptory 859, the council asked them to move their walk away from the Duke Street area "in the interests of public safety, public disorder and minimising disruption to the life of the community", as the area would be very busy with football fans walking and driving home from the match.
'No intention in forgoing parade'
The organisers reply stated "we have no intention in forgoing our annual parade", going on to state a willingness to discuss changes in times or routes, but not the date. Police did not accept this, stating their commitments around Celtic Park and the World Pipe Band Championships at Glasgow Green put an "excessive burden on their resources".
The 288 perceptory, meanwhile, was also asked to move its route away from the London Road area and change the date and time. The organisers of that group argued there had not been an issue with a parade in the Parkhead area on match days in the past, as the march would not start until 6pm. However, the council’s own policy of banning the performance of music of this type after 6pm prevents them doing so on this occasion.
The Glasgow Royal Black Perceptory 672 was asked to reroute its parade away from the Gallowgate area and change the date and time.
The other 25 individual parades proposed by the Royal Black Institution have been approved.
A spokesman from Glasgow City Council said the main Royal Black parade on August 13, between Cowlairs Park and Kelvingrove Park, will feature approximately 3000 marchers.
Out looking for trouble as usual, Idiots!! :eyebrow:
By Graham Fraser
25 July 2011
Celtic Park: Organisers want the parades to take place near the stadium only minutes after the end of a match. Pic: © STV
Police are opposing a series of contentious parades near Celtic Park after the end of a home match.
Three branches of the Royal Black Institution, which is linked to the Orange Order, want to march near the stadium on August 13 just as thousands of Celtic and Dundee United supporters leave Parkhead after their Scottish Premier League match.
The marches, in their current form, have been opposed by council officials and police, but the organisers say they have "no intention" of changing their plans.
On Thursday, councillors on Glasgow City Council's Public Processions Committee will determine if they can go ahead after hearing submissions from council officers, the police and organisers.
Councillors will consider a request from the local authority to reroute the parades and change their dates and times, in consultation with the council and police.
Twenty-nine individual parades have been proposed in Glasgow by the Royal Black Institution on August 13 to mark the 322nd anniversary of the relief of Derry. As well as the Celtic match in the east end, with an estimated 60,000 crowd, police will also be in attendance at the World Pipe Band Championships, with 40,000 spectators.
Three perceptories - numbers 859, 288 and 672 - want to take part in a march near Parkhead. Another - number 742 - has been called in to councillors after concerns over city centre disruption. Councillors have been asked to make a decision after the council, the police and organisers could not agree.
The perceptories notified their intentions in February and March to parade near Celtic Park at tea time on August 13. However, after the fixture list was announced in June, the council and police met to discuss their concerns and contacted the Royal Black groups to ask if they would change the date.
In the case of Glasgow Royal Black Perceptory 859, the council asked them to move their walk away from the Duke Street area "in the interests of public safety, public disorder and minimising disruption to the life of the community", as the area would be very busy with football fans walking and driving home from the match.
'No intention in forgoing parade'
The organisers reply stated "we have no intention in forgoing our annual parade", going on to state a willingness to discuss changes in times or routes, but not the date. Police did not accept this, stating their commitments around Celtic Park and the World Pipe Band Championships at Glasgow Green put an "excessive burden on their resources".
The 288 perceptory, meanwhile, was also asked to move its route away from the London Road area and change the date and time. The organisers of that group argued there had not been an issue with a parade in the Parkhead area on match days in the past, as the march would not start until 6pm. However, the council’s own policy of banning the performance of music of this type after 6pm prevents them doing so on this occasion.
The Glasgow Royal Black Perceptory 672 was asked to reroute its parade away from the Gallowgate area and change the date and time.
The other 25 individual parades proposed by the Royal Black Institution have been approved.
A spokesman from Glasgow City Council said the main Royal Black parade on August 13, between Cowlairs Park and Kelvingrove Park, will feature approximately 3000 marchers.
Out looking for trouble as usual, Idiots!! :eyebrow:
