An Orange Order lodge called off a controversial feeder parade in north Belfast over the weekend after warnings it would be banned.
The Ballysillan Lodge had applied to march past shops in Ardoyne on Saturday shortly before midday alongside a band from Carrickfergus.
Last week, the Parades Commission said it would defy a landmark 2016 agreement between north Belfast lodges and Ardoyne residents.
The Ballysillan lodge then withdrew the application, and stated on Facebook it was being “denied our right to walk the King’s highway due to threats of Republican violence".
It added: “We can't understand the Parade Commission’s logic when they allow the ABOD (Apprentice Boys of Derry) morning parade, 12th July Orange Order morning parade and the Black last Saturday morning parade but deny us a Whiterock morning feeder parade.”
In the initial ruling, the Parades Commission said: "It is a wanton disregard for the efforts made to achieve a local agreement and an egregious disregard for the six years of peace it secured.
"It serves only to heighten tensions in a period of political instability and risks serious public disorder.”
The BBC reported that a residents’ group in Ardoyne had told the commission the requested route had been “highly provocative”.
The 2016 agreement in place saw a total of five parades allowed to go past the Ardyone shops each year, but taking place around 8am.
It followed three years of the high-profile Ardoyne parade dispute, which cost an estimated £20 million to police.
Large crowds out for this afternoon’s Whiterock Orange Parade - always a great spectacle. pic.twitter.com/AoeKqPKrNI
— Brian Kingston (@BrianKingston) June 29, 2019
On Saturday, the Orange Order’s Whiterock parade in west Belfast did go ahead with restrictions.
Around 1,000 participants abided by the Parades Commission ruling not to cross the peace line at Workman Avenue, and were instead re-routed on to the Springfield Road.
With police gathering evidence at the scene, there were also restrictions on the type of banners being displayed and music.
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