I was brought up a Protestant, but not the marching kind. But perhaps our ‘Glorious Revolution‘ of 1688 that brought King William III to the throne in defence of both Parliamentary democracy and the Protestant faith is something we should celebrate more widely. Particularly in times such as this where I think Parliamentary democracy is endangered.
A new banner for the Medway Martyrs Lodge, founded in 2007, is unveiled
Orange Marches and the Orange Institution have of course been extremely contentious in parts of Northern Ireland but there seems little reason for them to be so in London, particularly as the Orange Institution has made clear it “will not accept into membership those with racist views or those who do not support the principle of civil and religious liberty for all.”
Although I had some trouble covering an earlier march by the Apprentice Boys of Derry where I reported “being pushed backwards by a large man in dark glasses and instructed very firmly to leave“, I’m pleased to say that today I wasn’t threatened – myself and the other photographers were treated very civilly – and one of the marchers complimented me on the pictures of a previous march on my web site.
More text and pictures on My London Diary.