Large numbers of people are next month expected to take part in the first major Loyalist marches through Glasgow since the pandemic began.
The Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland has planned 34 marches for 18 September, with 7,500 expected to attend.
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IMHO it’s not a very good look for a supposedly advanced Western country anywhere, centuries-old religious divides to the degree of requiring anual demonstrations in support of a faith for each side.
It smacks of the sort of religious division which has caused and still causes problems in places like Afghanistan; Iraq; Iran; the former Yugoslavia; etc. etc. etc.
To show balance this time without involving religion so much I happen to think the same about the English anual burning of the effigy of a terrorist every November together with the need for an accompaniment of whole series’ of large explosions.
Both are outdated and shouldn’t really be happening in a truly civilized society if you ask me.
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My sentiments too, Zaphod
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I agree, these marches should have died out years ago, they’ve caused a lot of trouble over the years
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They go right by my house (local marches I mean) and the amount of resources they take up with police, and road blocking, is awful. Plus you get the followers who follow alongside them with their own singing and banging - its actually quite intimidating of you are caught up amongst it, because they don’t allow you to move past or through to cross the road. Also the fact they “demand” to be allowed through catholic areas, specifically to wind them up, is atrocious.
The fact that catholic areas even exist outside Norn Iron in the modern age is beyond the comprehension of many south of the border.
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I agree…but they are there, and many protestant areas too. I come from the North of Scotland, where everyone was just everyone together. Differences of course, but no religious ones. Coming here to where this hatred (on both sides) exists, is still alien to me after 30+ years. 
Many of my earliest years up until school-leaving age were spent in Clackmannanshire which back then had catholic schools etc. but other than that I don’t recall religious segregation being to the extent of where you lived, so it would still be alien to me too.
Then of course I spent time outside Scotland and even the UK too and at younger ages such things don’t have the importance which they might gain as you get older.
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usually in July there’s an Orange walk, you can hear the thumping of the drums about 8 am, they march round the streets, stopping to pick up the followers… we don’t have separate protestant and catholic areas in our town , so they march round most streets then end up on the main street, with a police escort…
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I have lived all my life in Scotland and that surprises me as well Zaphod. My wife is catholic and no problems.
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