An Orange march will go ahead in Dunkeld later this month, despite claims it would be “a danger to the community”.
Councillors gave the District 65 Colonel Cleland Memorial Orange Lodge the green light to hold a procession on August 20.
The event is held annually to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Dunkeld.
One person objected to the bid, saying participants on last year’s march had abused locals on social media and were “hostile” to the Dunkeld community.
However, members of Perth and Kinross Council’s licensing committee agreed unanimously that it could go ahead.
Organiser David Walters told Wednesday’s committee meeting: “This is an annual parade that we have every year in Dunkeld apart from during the Covid pandemic time.
“It’s a peaceful church parade.”
One objection to Dunkeld Orange March
The Orange march will take place at 1.15 pm on Sunday August 20, starting at Birnam Game Park and heading to Dunkeld Cathedral.
Police Scotland and Perth and Kinross Council’s Environment Services said they had no objections to the application.
The licensing committee’s permission was not required for the event. But members did have a right to block it, or to add conditions under which it could proceed.
The committee considered an objection submitted by Tom Wilde, who wrote: “After last year’s procession members of the Orange Order who had taken part in the parade went on to abuse local people on social media who had objected to the march.
“This clearly shows that the Orange Order group organising this are hostile to local people and allowing this procession to take place is a danger to the community.”
However, in his submission Mr Walters argued the “right of freedom of peaceful public assembly” was “a fundamental right within all the major international human rights instruments”.
He added: “The right to assemble is particularly important for minority and marginalised groups whose voices may otherwise not be heard or expressed in the mass media, nor reflected in the views in the mainstream political parties.”
Convener Iain MacPherson moved to take no action. This was seconded by fellow SNP councillor Bailie Mike Williamson and the committee unanimously agreed to take no action.
Dunkeld a turning point in Scottish history
The Battle of Dunkeld was fought on August 21, 1689 when a government regiment of Cameronians defeated a much larger force of Jacobite clansmen.
It is said by historians to mark the end of the first Jacobite uprising in Scotland.
Lieutenant Colonel William Cleland, who led the newly-formed Cameronians, was killed early in the battle and is buried in the nave of Dunkeld Cathedral.
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