GLASGOW will see thousands of people taking part in over 50 Orange Order marches today.

Public processions were banned last year under coronavirus restrictions, and weren’t fully lifted during the traditional annual Battle of the Boyne celebrations usually held in July.

According to publicly available information on Glasgow City Council’s website, a total of 30 lodges and groupings have notified their intent for 51 separate marches in various locations across the city.

Many lodges are holding a procession in the morning and another in the afternoon, when many groups are expected to congregate in Glasgow Green.

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It comes as Police Scotland warned they would not tolerate “offensive behaviour” from those taking part in marches and called for the day to “pass peacefully”.

A number of protestors, organised by anti-sectarian campaign group Call it Out, are also planning to hold peaceful demonstrations outside of two Catholic churches where the walks are due to pass by.

Despite the controversy, the head of Scotland’s Orange Order told the BBC he “doesn’t see sectarianism in the country”.

Meanwhile, anti-sectarian charity Nil By Mouth have called for a review on the policy around parades in Scotland and said the situation was “increasingly worrying”.

On Saturday morning, between 8.15am and 11am, there will be a staggering 26 separate processions with an estimated 8,000 people taking part across the city.

The National:

Thousands of people will take to the streets of Scotland's largest city

The largest of these, led by the County Grand Orange Lodge of Glasgow South Group, is expected to be made up of 1850 people, set to march from Clyde Place Quay to Glasgow Green.

In the afternoon, around 4000 people are set to take part in 25 individual processions from 1.45pm to 4pm. The largest, led by Loyal Orange Institution Govan District 42, is expected to be made up of 950 people marching from Glasgow Green to Brand Street.

Other processions range in the number attending from the hundreds, to a low of just 60 in some cases.

Call It Out, a charity which campaigns against anti-catholic bigotry, requested that three of the processions make “minor detours” to avoid passing Catholic Churches.

They said: “This was a fair, proportionate, and human rights-based request that would have balanced the rights of all including anti-Catholic organisations.

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“Once again however Glasgow City Council and the Police Service of Scotland have ignored these calls and failed in their statutory obligation to consider or give equal weight to the human rights of Catholics and ultimately protect Catholics and Catholic places of worship.”

The Catholic churches are St. Benedict’s in Easterhouse where protestors will gather at 8:15am, and Blessed John Dun Scotus in the Gorbals at 2:00pm.

A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said that they had received and acknowledged the request from Call It Out, but were limited in what they could do.

They said: “The legislation that governs public processions starts from a position that people have a human right to march. It does not does not support councils imposing conditions or prohibitions other than on the grounds set out within part five of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 in relation to the likely effect on public safety, public order, damage to property or disruption to the life of the community.”

Meanwhile, Jim McHarg, Grand Master of the Orange Order, told the BBC: "For 200 years, there have been parades in this city with very, very little trouble, if that's the right terminology.”

He added: "I don't see sectarianism in this country.

The National:

Some smaller processions have gone ahead this year, but Saturday will be the first time they are on a larger scale

"I would say there's a form of bigotry, you might see 90-minute bigotry at football matches or whatever."

However, it comes as Deputy Chief Constable Will Kerr, one of Scotland’s top police officers who worked in Northern Ireland for 27 years, said he was “surprised by the level of sectarianism in Scotland”.

Nil By Mouth, another anti-sectarian charity, said it was time for a review into how marches are conducted in Scotland.

Dave Scott, Director at Nil by Mouth, said: ‘With 18 months of Covid restrictions, wider society might have been tempted to believe that emotions around parades in Glasgow had eased but in reality they have simply been in cold storage.

“It’s now 15 years since the Orr Report was published which mapped out best practice and policy on parades in Scotland.

“It may now be time for a similar review to be carried out to look at how we move forward as it’s clear that this isn’t an issue which is going to magically resolve itself.

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“Dialogue will be the only way we make any progress on this complex and increasingly worrying situation.’ Ahead of Saturday’s marches, Police Scotland pleaded with attendees to act “safely, responsibly and respectfully”.

Chief Superintendent Mark Sutherland, Divisional Commander of Police Scotland's Greater Glasgow Police Division, said: "Our large policing operation will be focused on public safety and doing all we can with partners to reduce disruption to the wider community.

“We will however not tolerate offensive behaviour, including hate crimes, drunkenness and disorder and such behaviours, will be dealt with swiftly and proportionately.

“Where this is not possible during the event, we will launch follow-up investigations as necessary.

"We are aware that there may be those who wish to protest on the day against particular locations the processions will pass.

“We continue to work with these groups to ensure their rights are protected and would again urge everyone to show tolerance, and respect the rights of others."
 

Full list of processions for Saturday 18 September

As listed on Glasgow City Council's website

8.15am

Greater Easterhouse Truth Defenders L.O.L. District No. 17

Start: Baldinnie Road  End: Brunstaine Road

Participants: 100

St Rollox Orange & Purple District 10

Start: Broomfield Road  End: Millarbank Street

Participants: 50

St Rollox Orange & Purple District 10

Start: Auchinairn Road  End: Millarbank Street

Participants: 200

Dalmarnock O&P District No. 50

Start: Mordaunt Street  End: Glenpark Street

Patricipants: 95

8.30am  

Drumchapel Orange & Purple District 57

Start: Orange Hall, Kilfauns Drive, Drumchapel End: Dalsetter Avenue

Patricipants: 200

Maryhill Orange and Purple District 46

Start: Sandbank Crescent  End: Corn Street

Participants: 60

Orange & Purple District Lodge No 12

Start: Aberfeldy Street End: Glenpark Street

Participants: 300

Parkhead Bluebell L.O.L. 129

Start: Quarryknowe Street  End: Quarryknowe Street

Participants: 100

Shettleston Guiding Star of Freedom L.O.L. 180

Start: Academy Street  End: Quarryknowe Street

Participants: 100

Tollcross Purple Star L.O.L. 84

Start: Causewayside St Industrial Estate  End: Quarryknowe St

Participants: 100

9am 

Glasgow Orange and Purple District No. 3

Start: Wishart Street   End: Corn Street

Participants: 150

Parkhead Orange and Purple District No. 21

Start: Quarryknowe Street  End: Glenpark Street

Participants: 300

PARTICK ORANGE & PURPLE DISTRICT NO15

Start: Crawford Halls  End: Kelvingrove Park

Participants: 100

Whiteinch orange and purple district no7

Start: Northinch Street  End: Kelvingrove Park

Participants: 70

9.15am

Loyal Orange Institution Govan District 42

Start: Midlock Street End: Brand Street

Participants: 120

St Rollox Orange & Purple District 10

Start: Millarbank Street End: Corn Street

Participants: 200

Thornliebank and Pollokshaws LOL28

Start: Spiersbridge Avenue  End: Shawbridge Street

Participants: 200

9.30am

Cowcaddens Orange and Purple District 11

Start: Sunnylaw Street  End: Edington Street/Corn Street

Participants: 200

County Grand Orange Lodge of Glasgow - Colour Party

Start: Cathedral Square, Glasgow Evangelical Church  End: Glasgow Green

Patricipants: 100

9.40am

County Grand Orange Lodge of Glasgow - East Group

Start: Glenpark Street   End: Glasgow Green

Start time: 9.40am   Participants: 1070

9.45am

Kelvingrove Orange and Purple District 29

Start: Haugh Road End: Kelvingrove Park

Participants: 150

10am

County Grand Orange Lodge of Glasgow - North Group

Start: Corn Street/Edington Street  End: Glasgow Green

Participants: 1010

Glasgow Southside Orange & Purple District No.49

Start: Maxwell Road/Barrland Street  End: Commerce Street

Participants: 400

Loyal Orange Institution Govan District 42

Start: Brand Street End: Commerce Street

Participants: 950

10.20am

County Grand Orange Lodge of Glasgow - West Group

Start: Kelvingrove Park    End: Glasgow Green

Participants: 650

11am

County Grand Orange Lodge of Glasgow - South Group

Start: Clyde Place Quay   End: Glasgow Green

Participants: 1850

1.45pm

Drumchapel Orange & Purple District 57

Start: Glasgow Green  End: Wishart Street

Patricipants: 200

Glasgow Orange and Purple District No. 3

Start: Glasgow Green   End: North Wallace Street

Patricipants: 150

Greater Easterhouse Truth Defenders L.O.L. District No. 17

Start: Glasgow Green  End: Glenpark Street

Participants: 100

Kelvingrove Orange and Purple District 29

Start: Glasgow Green  End: Haugh Road

Participants: 150

Maryhill Orange and Purple District 46

Start: Glasgow Green  End: Sandbank Street

Participants: 60

Orange And Purple District 37

Start: Glasgow Green  End: Main Street

Participants: 150

Parkhead Orange and Purple District No. 21

Start: Glasgow Green  End: Quarryknowe Street

Participants: 220

Patrick Orange & Purple District NO15

Start: Glasgow Green  End: Beith Street

Participants: 100

Shettleston Guiding Star of Freedom L.O.L. 180

Start: Glasgow Green End: Chester Street

Participants: 100

St Rollox Orange & Purple District 10

Start: Saltmarket  End: Millarbank street

Participants: 200 

Whiteinch orange and purple district no7

Start: Glasgow Green End point: Northinch Street

Participants: 70 

2pm

County Grand Orange Lodge of Glasgow - Colour Party

Start: Glasgow Green   End: Glasgow Evangelical Church

Participants: 100

Cowcaddens Orange and Purple District 11

Start: Saltmarket, Glasgow Green  End: Sunnylaw Street

Patricipants: 150

Dalmarnock O&P District No. 50

Start: Glasgow Green   End: Mordaunt Street

Patricipants: 120

Dumbarton Orange & Purple District LOL No.27

Start: Glasgow Green    End: Wishart Street

Participants: 60

Glasgow Southside Orange & Purple District No.49

Start: Glasgow Green  End: Barrland Street

Participants: 200

Orange & Purple District 12 LOL153 & LLOL174

Start: Saltmarket End: Wishart Street

Participants: 100

Orange & Purple District 40

Start: Glasgow Green  End: Mordaunt Street

Participants: 120

Orange & Purple District Lodge No12

Start: Glasgow Green End: Aberfeldy Street

Participants: 300

Rutherglen Orange and Purple District 20

Start: Nelson Monument, Glasgow Green  End: Queen Mary Avenue

Participants: 200

2.15pm

Loyal Orange Institution Govan District 42

Start: Glasgow Green  End: Brand Street

Participants: 950

Thornliebank and Pollokshaws LOL28

Start: Cleeves Road End: Haughburn Road

Participants: 200

3.15pm

Greater Easterhouse Truth Defenders L.O.L. District No. 17

Start: Brunstaine Road  End point: Baldinnie Road

Participants: 100

3.45pm

Thornliebank and Pollokshaws LOL28

Start: Titwood Road End: Spiersbridge Avenue

Participants: 200

4pm

Drumchapel Orange & Purple District 57

Start: Essenside Avenue   End point: Kinfauns Drive

Participants: 200