Banning Orange marches would be bad idea

The National

7 hours ago

As a republican socialist from an Irish Catholic tradition who supports Celtic FC, Scottish independence and a united Ireland, it should go without saying that I fundamentally disagree with the pro-Union, pro-monarchy ideology of the Orange Order.
But I also fundamentally disagree with the notion of banning the Orange Order, for both practical and principled reasons. Practically, it would not diminish sectarianism. It would have the opposite effect.
Numbers attending these annual rituals have declined steeply during my lifetime. Until recently, most people were unaware of the existence of Kneecap and Bob Vylan. Today, thanks to the ham-fisted authoritarianism of Keir Starmer, the BBC and the police, their popularity has soared along with their notoriety.
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There are also broader principles at stake. By demanding that the state use its powers against organisations we find offensive, we legitimise the accelerating trend towards repression sweeping the globe.
The overwhelming vote in the House of Commons this week to ban Palestine Action is a chilling warning of what we are up against.
Those of us who support an independent Scotland should not mimic the right. Authoritarianism is a hallmark not of strength and confidence but offweakness.
The green, white and orange tricolour was adopted as the national flag of Ireland by the insurgent republican movement in 1919 to symbolise peace and unity across the religious and cultural divide.
Like it or loathe it, Orangeism is part of the identity of a significant minority of Scots. A confident, modern nation should be prepared to live with that. It should guarantee protection of the rights of minority groups irrespective of whether they meet with our approval.
Yes, many people are offended by Orange marches. No doubt I will be deluged with objections that those involved in the Orange Order are bigots and knuckle-draggers who don't belong in a forward-looking Scotland.
The behaviour of some who turn out to support marches – invariably intoxicated – has contributed to the stereotype. The truth is many Orange Order members are embarrassed by the conduct of those they call the 'hangers-on' because it undermines their quest for respectability.
To tar everyone with the same brush because of the moronic behaviour of some is unfair – and the same point applies to all organisations, from football clubs to political parties. It also fails to understand the complexities of identity, community, friendship, loyalty and tradition.
I grew up and spent most of my adult life in some of the poorest parts of Glasgow where Irish republicanism and Orange loyalism have long co-existed side by side.
I've attended Orange funerals. I stood on Poll Tax human barricades alongside staunch loyalists and ardent Irish republicans.
I raised money outside Celtic Park with striking miners from Ayrshire who were careful to conceal their King Billy tattoos. I had members of the Orange Order, along with Irish republican activists, display posters in support of my socialist candidacy in a council by-election in Govan years before the peace process in Northern Ireland.
(Image: David Wardle)
Yes, there is a core of anti-Catholicism in the Orange tradition. Importantly, for the official Orange Order, it is directed at the institution and the doctrines of the church, rather towards individual Catholics And even then its criticisms are mild in tone and content compared, for example, to the views expressed by Richard Dawkins, and many others of an atheist persuasion.
Ten years ago, there was a great outpouring of support among liberals and leftists for the Paris-based magazine Charlie Hebdo after 12 of its employees were massacred by two Muslim gunmen.
The cartoons that provoked the atrocity were more brutally offensive by far in their depiction of Islam than any criticism of Catholicism ever made by the Orange Order. But the 'Je Suis Charlie' upsurge was not an expression of agreement with the vile cartoons. It was a defence of the right of free expression.
There are more insidious and dangerous forces to be concerned about than the dwindling and ageing membership of the Orange Order.
Who do we proscribe next? Nigel Farage and Reform UK? Or is Nigel, with his millions of voters and huge public profile, too big to ban? So, like Keir Starmer, do we just concentrate on the easier targets?
These are just the questions we need to address before playing with fire. Much of the wisdom of the ancient Greeks is still highly relevant today, so be very careful what you wish for, as they warned.