Orange walk
The parades typically build up to 12 July celebrations marking Prince William of Orange's victory over King James II and VII at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.
Marches in Northern Ireland on and around 1 July originally commemorated the participation of the 36th (Ulster) Division in the Battle of the Somme.
Since the beginning of the Troubles, most of these parades have evolved into the "mini Twelfth", and have little obvious connection with World War I.
In recent decades, it has become much more common for members of ladies' lodges to walk, although men still greatly outnumber them in most parades.
A few parades include others in historical fancy dress; or, more rarely, a float, such as that constructed for the 1990 Twelfth celebrations to represent the Mountjoy, the ship which lifted the Siege of Derry.
Other popular banner subjects include deceased lodge members, local landmarks, and the Bible with a Crown.
The current dispute centres on the refusal of the Parades Commission to allow the Portadown lodge through the Catholic Garvaghy Road during their annual celebrations in early July.
[10] The Orange Order and its supporters have countered that: They have also argued that they have a fundamental "right to march"—that any group should be able to walk down "the Queen's highway" without interference.
In practice, however, the Order has tended to oppose marches by republicans and other "disloyal" groups on the grounds that there is no right to parade sedition.
[citation needed] The annual picnic in Drum, County Monaghan features a small scale peaceful march.
[18][19] Orange walks continue across Scotland, but they are concentrated in Glasgow,[20] Lanarkshire,[21] Ayrshire,[22] Renfrewshire[23] and West Lothian.
[25] It is accepted that events such as national days are marked by parades by other organisations, religious and otherwise, such as the Scouts and the Boys' Brigade—but apart from one-off anniversaries such as centenaries, that tends to be the limit of such activity.
Consequently, and also due to disproportionate costs, initiatives have been introduced to the Glasgow City Council to restrict the number of marches.
[27] The Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland has supported police moves to fine spectators for sectarian activity.
An increase in membership in recent years has seen a revival of the Orange Order in Australia, and an annual Twelfth of July parade is currently held in Adelaide.
[30] In Canada, Orange Walks on 12 July were once large public occasions, particularly in the provinces of Ontario and Newfoundland that have a strong Loyalist heritage dating from the time of the American Revolution.
