The annual Orange Order protest at Drumcree in Portadown has been suspended pending the outcome of a High Court challenge to the Parades Commission’s refusal to allow a march along the Garvaghy Road.

The case, supported by loyalist activist Jamie Bryson, was heard briefly on Friday before being adjourned. It will resume in the second week of August in Belfast. The court will examine the legality of the Commission’s determination, which has prevented Orangemen from completing the traditional return route.

Bryson has urged the Protestant, Unionist and Loyalist community to use legal processes to defend their rights. He argued that courtroom progress now surpasses what could be achieved through street disturbances, and that young loyalists should pursue legal education to challenge perceived injustices.

In a separate action, Bryson has lodged a hate crime complaint with the Police Service of Northern Ireland concerning a social media post by the Irish Republican Socialist Party. The IRSP’s Portadown/Lurgan account stated that no Orangemen would walk the Garvaghy Road regardless of any court ruling and described the prospect as unfeasible.

Bryson’s complaint contends that if the PSNI treated a controversial anti-immigration banner in Moygashel as a hate crime, then the IRSP statement must be treated identically because it explicitly seeks to exclude members of the Orange tradition from a public area based on their identity.

The PSNI confirmed that the complaint has been received and that officers are considering the content of the post.