To wish sectarian parades (all kinds) were banned in Scotland

[Meikyo]

Apart from the stirring up of old hatreds based on battles hundreds of years ago, there is the general disruption to the daily lives of the general public when traffic is stopped (often without warning, for up to 30 minutes or more). There is also the not inconsiderable cost to the tax payer of providing policing for these parades and their followers.

i agree
yesterday the orange walk was in my hometime and due to the hassle of the roads being closed i had to cancel a lot of plans for the day

Catholic church near us got the walk banned from our town My dad walks it and complained to the council walks now has to go round the long way in the village and not go past the church, I hate sectarianism with a passion growing up with somebody who believes in it wasnt fun it didnt rub off on me thank god ,

YABU.

People, all people, have a right to march and show their beliefs.

And the marches seem to be dying a death anyway.

And all the disruption etc just irritates people more, so people are less likely to get involved with the marches.

I agree they are not good, but stopping them needs to come from the people, not the government.

YANBU. It's outdated, and I don't understand why it doesn't come under the laws about inciting racial hatred.

YANBU at all.
The sectarian sentiment behind these marches is disgusting.

It will probably head that way outraged they are dying out which is a good thing used to be loads when i was younger

I hate them and everything they stand for.
Thank goodness they seem to be on their way out

Yanbu awful things stirring up trouble.

Banning marches makes people cling more tightly to their traditions I think.

If we wanted to save police money, how about banning football matches instead?

YANBU

Do yourselves a favour and don't come to Northern Ireland between, well, now and the end of July.

It's officially marching season...

I don't think they should be banned. We're trying to cultivate a society that recognises and respects other cultures, blanket bans will not achieve that. It would also encourage certain groups to start seeing themselves as repressed and victimised, which would hardly help matters.

ItsAllGoing, I agree that people have a right to march/protest etc. However, as other posters have pointed out, sectarian parades do involve hatred/intolerance of the beliefs of those who do not support the cause of the marchers.

I take the point about the marches dying out compared to the past - a good thing. However, literally thousands of marchers were out today in Glasgow, so there is still a degree of support.

I have no religeous affiliation at all, but object to the marchers inciting hatred/intolerance of others. I also object strongly to my taxes being used to pay for the policing - if the marches are allowed on the public roads, the march organisers should pay for all additional police costs associated with their parades.

Football clubs pay for policing.

I am Scottish, living in the central belt but from Aberdeen. Until I moved here I had never even heard of the marches. I'd heard about the Irish ones etc on the news, but didn't realise they were a big thing here.

IMHO it seems to be more about what football team you support than any sort of religious conviction.

It also makes me sad that ds is likely to not go to school with a number of his friends because they will go to the catholic school. Segregating our children from an early age I don't think is right. There are only 2 catholic primary schools in Aberdeen. And not one state secondary.

YANBU They should be banned. They go against all the good work being done in schools to try to stamp out sectarianism/racism.

I live in Glasgow, they definitely do not seem to be dying out here...

YANBU.

Does anyone know if the organisers are charged for the police/road closures?

Because my triathlon club is generally charged for this and recently refused permission because it would disrupt shoppers (early on a Sunday morning!) and so had to cancel it. Central belt of Scotland.

Ditto football matches...

YANBU. Will never forget coming out of Mass one day (back in the 80s) and one was right outside. It was like a mob. Terrifying.

Lovely march last night, loads of Lambeg drummers. fuckers.

I can't stand it, I hate them. St. Patrick's day is no longer sectarian where I live, there are parades but Protestant bands are in them too. Everyone welcome. Orange parades are not like that at all. Pure triumphalist bollocks. Pack of bastards.

I am actually from the Protestant tradition. I still hate it.

YANBU. People who disagree are welcome to have them walk down their street at 8am on a Sunday morning

If they're so set on keeping up their traditions then presumably they wouldn't mind marching around a deserted industrial estate in the pissing rain. They're all bused in anyway so it shouldn't inconvenience the actual marchers.

Ds heard one at lunchtime today and said "that's those silly people again mum. Why are they allowed to walk on the road and not let the buses past?" Why indeed?

It's much better than it used to be though. I'd say there's been about a 50% reduction in marches in the last couple of years. Long may it continue.

It's the mini ones that particularly irritate me.

4 men and a camp follower in a Rangers top with a bottle of Buckie.
Half a dozen police.
30 minutes delay for the ordinary people trying to go about their business.

I hate seeing them. I remember getting stuck in traffic beside one and ds was clapping along with that awful fucking flute music and the big drums. I felt sad for the kids dragged along. They are just enjoying the music and festivities but are being groomed in the ingrown hate that their parents are.

They aren't about religious expression. They haven't been about that for a long time. Its about spreading sectarian bile.

The idiots marching aren't smart enough to know why.

Unfortunately they are alive and kicking throughout the central belt, even worse from Livingston heading West.

There's been a problem in our East of Scotland town, with hundreds of people bussed in (largely from the West) for a large march every year. There's a real atmosphere in the town and most locals avoid it with a passion. It just encourages sectarianism, which is never a good thing. And don't get me started on state-funded faith schools....

Jen are you talking about Prestonpans?

I remember looking at houses there a few years ago and wondering why everyone had flags out, it wasn't gala day. Then it clicked, marching season.