Stonehaven Orange Walk stopped by councillors
An Aberdeenshire Council committee met to discuss the march which was due to take place later this month.
An Orange Walk due to take place through Stonehaven later this month has been stopped by councillors.
The Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee met today to discuss a notification submitted last month for a parade on 16 March to mark the opening of an Orange Lodge in the town.
The committee discussed if it should be given the green-light with or without restrictions or to be stopped altogether.
Councillors voted unanimously to prohibit the walk.
A petition was launched last week which gained just under 10,000 signatures.
Following the meeting, David Walters, Executive Officer at the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland said it was 'disappointing but not surprising' and the group would now be taking the decision to court.
Mr Walters said: "We are disappointed but not surprised, I believe we won the legal argument but it was apparent that the counsellors had already made their mind up against their own solicitors advice and guidance.
"We will now seek legal advice and appeal to Aberdeen sheriff court."
"Stonehaven is a very friendly, welcoming place"
Neil Young - who grew up in West Belfast - has lived in Stonehaven for 14 years and was the man behind the petition.
He started it over concerns the Orange Walk could "disrupt the peace" of the coastal town.
Mr Young said: "I know what these people are really like and what a threat they pose. Wherever they go they bring discrimination and very often violence either along their memberships or with the people who are their followers.
"It (the petition) escalated and people are signed it faster than you can check. I'm very heartened by that.
"For me, it reaffirms in many ways why I love this town - my adopted home. Stonehaven is a very friendly, welcoming place that is torrent to anybody and welcomes anybody of good spirit."
"Spreading hatred"
Yesterday, David Walter claimed comments on social media had been shared to "spread hatred" against the organisation.
He also questioned the validity of the petition, accusing it of being shared across certain groups who oppose to the Grand Orange Lodge, including Cletic Football Club groups.
Mr Walter continued: "We are not against people being opposed to us as an institution or us as an order and that's fine. What we are opposed to is people labelling us as hatred and sectarian.
"In terms of the petition - this is an individual not originally from Stonehaven coming from West Belfast - he has probably got a history of parades, maybe opposing them as well.
"It's a bit sinister that he has not just included the people of Stonehaven but people have sent it to websites all over Scotland, republican websites, national websites, even Celtic Football Club pages. So there's no surprised thousands of people signed it but I think you'll find very very few from Stonehaven actually signed it."