Government leadersProtests
First Protestant march in Catholic area in nearly 30 years
Tensions are running high in Northern Ireland after the High Court in Belfast approved a controversial parade. Around 2,000 protesters have blocked the route into a Catholic area where the Protestant march was due to pass. It is the first time in nearly 30 years that the Orange Order has been allowed to march along this route, which was a notorious flashpoint before the 1998 Good Friday Agreement largely brought an end to the bloodshed of the Troubles. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has appealed for calm on all sides, saying he does not want to see Northern Ireland “go backwards.”