On the Garvaghy Road in Portadown, County Armagh, in September 2026 a strong and organised working class community faced the prospect of a hate march through their area and the threat of both Loyalist and State violence against them, just as they had faced in the 1990s. Despite the risks and the re-living of their trauma, the community stood firm, pulled together and is successfully blocking the march.

Community Organising:

When the Orange Order got a ban on their deliberately intimidating march lifted this summer and put an application in to march on Sunday 27 September, the community got to work:

• They used community organising tools, running big community meetings and signing thousands onto a petition against the march.

• They organised and prepared disciplined direct action – a full blockade of the road in three parts to prevent the Orange Order, Loyalists or PSNI taking over their community.
• They went to court to block the march, but did not rely on the courts to save them. Instead, they maintained a firm and disciplined negotiation line. No one person spoke on behalf of the community and no meaningful negotiations could take place until the march was withdrawn.

• The community cared for each other and everyone who came to support them, hundreds and thousands of cups of tea, beds and floors to sleep on, food and rest to keep the fight going, centred on the Drumcree Community Centre.

Garvaghy Road residents are an inspiration for what a community can do. We can stand together and face down the threat of violence and hate when we are organised, structured and disciplined together – whether we’re resisting the eviction of a neighbour or facing down a hate group on our streets.

The community is also an inspiration for the Ireland we want: one free of violence and hate, safe and secure and thriving when we organise and hold our power together.

As the situation continues, community members remain on alert. The risk from the Orange Order, Loyalists and the PSNI remains.

Community Action Tenants Union (CATU) stands in full solidarity and support of the residents and all those opposing violence & hate in and against our communities.

We are prepared to support the community if there is a long-term standoff, based on their needs and wishes, including:

• Organising volunteers to go to Garvaghy for action & community support
• Fundraising for practical needs and emergency defense
• All-Ireland solidarity petition and posters
• All-Ireland pressure campaign

Please follow and await further updates from:

• The Drumcree Centre (facebook.com/Drumcree.Centre)
• CATU Craigavon-Armagh (@catu.armagh.craigavonarea)
• CATU Ireland (@catuireland)