5.11.04
Irelandclick.com
ARDOYNE POLICING REPORT IS SLAMMED BY SF’s KELLY
A report by the Policing Board into this year’s notorious Orange march that saw loyalists pushed past Ardoyne shops, including senior members of the UDA, has been slammed by Sinn Féin’s Gerry Kelly after it completely exonerated the policing operation.
And the Sinn Féin man is among many who are angry that no mention was made of the central presence of feared UDA brigadier William John Borland on the day.
The July 12 parade reached new heights of controversy after the PSNI forced through the loyalists despite a Parades Commission ban on supporters going up the Crumlin Road.
One of these was William John ‘Bonzer’ Borland, the leading member of the UDA’s North Belfast brigade.
The police actions of that day led to a fierce nationalist backlash and some of the worst civil unrest seen in North Belfast for many years. It led to calls from former SDLP mayor Martin Morgan for his party to leave the Policing Board.
But today the PSNI was said by the Policing Board report to have “complied with the Human Rights Act”.
The report says the PSNI “only had power to prevent the followers/supporters proceeding along that part of the route if they presented a threat to the peace sufficient to trigger police powers to deal with a breach of the peace”. But the report later states that police on the scene described the loyalist crowd as “well behaved, but impatient... no threat of violence, nor was there any physical pressure on the police line.”
It goes on to state the possibilities that might have happened if the loyalists did not get up past the Ardoyne shops.
“There was concern that holding back the group for a prolonged period might increase the risk of disorder at least, or serious violence at worst if followers/supporters from other parades joined those at the junction of Woodvale Road and Woodvale Parade swelling the numbers from the 200 or so to a much larger number, possibly even 1,000. It has been suggested to us that the PSNI over-stated this concern, but we have seen a leaflet recovered by the police that urges East Belfast Orange to ‘delay their return to Templemore Avenue until all Brethren, bands and loyal supporters return safely to Ligoneil (sic) Orange Hall’.”
But Gerry Kelly said the report held no surprises for the nationalist community in North Belfast.
“Unfortunately this is no surprise and we said at the time the call for the report was to keep the SDLP on the Policing Board,” he said. “The PSNI wrested the powers of the Parades Commission and they themselves forced a UDA mob up through a Catholic area.”
Gerry Kelly said the anger was still palpable in Ardoyne five months after the loyalists were forced up the Crumlin Road as protesting nationalists were hemmed in behind walls of steel barriers.
“Anger is still felt in the Ardoyne area because Des Rea, the chairman of the Policing Board, exonerated the PSNI even before the outcome of any report.
“Martin Morgan, who was in the SDLP, said at the time the party should consider coming off the Policing Board. People won’t be surprised that the Policing Board found the PSNI had behaved properly when it was the PSNI who forced an anti-Catholic march through a Catholic area. Here you have the PSNI, who have policed this parade before, having the choice of whether to force these loyalists up the road or not. They knew it was being led by well-known UDA men and they forced it through a Catholic area. Here you have a report that doesn’t even mention that.”
A spokeswoman for the Policing Board admitted the UDA issue “was raised” but that it was nothing to do with the report.“This was our human rights lawyers considering how the police met their responsibilities in compliance with the Human Rights Act.”
Journalist:: Andrea McKernon
ARDOYNE POLICING REPORT IS SLAMMED BY SF’s KELLY
A report by the Policing Board into this year’s notorious Orange march that saw loyalists pushed past Ardoyne shops, including senior members of the UDA, has been slammed by Sinn Féin’s Gerry Kelly after it completely exonerated the policing operation.
And the Sinn Féin man is among many who are angry that no mention was made of the central presence of feared UDA brigadier William John Borland on the day.
The July 12 parade reached new heights of controversy after the PSNI forced through the loyalists despite a Parades Commission ban on supporters going up the Crumlin Road.
One of these was William John ‘Bonzer’ Borland, the leading member of the UDA’s North Belfast brigade.
The police actions of that day led to a fierce nationalist backlash and some of the worst civil unrest seen in North Belfast for many years. It led to calls from former SDLP mayor Martin Morgan for his party to leave the Policing Board.
But today the PSNI was said by the Policing Board report to have “complied with the Human Rights Act”.
The report says the PSNI “only had power to prevent the followers/supporters proceeding along that part of the route if they presented a threat to the peace sufficient to trigger police powers to deal with a breach of the peace”. But the report later states that police on the scene described the loyalist crowd as “well behaved, but impatient... no threat of violence, nor was there any physical pressure on the police line.”
It goes on to state the possibilities that might have happened if the loyalists did not get up past the Ardoyne shops.
“There was concern that holding back the group for a prolonged period might increase the risk of disorder at least, or serious violence at worst if followers/supporters from other parades joined those at the junction of Woodvale Road and Woodvale Parade swelling the numbers from the 200 or so to a much larger number, possibly even 1,000. It has been suggested to us that the PSNI over-stated this concern, but we have seen a leaflet recovered by the police that urges East Belfast Orange to ‘delay their return to Templemore Avenue until all Brethren, bands and loyal supporters return safely to Ligoneil (sic) Orange Hall’.”
But Gerry Kelly said the report held no surprises for the nationalist community in North Belfast.
“Unfortunately this is no surprise and we said at the time the call for the report was to keep the SDLP on the Policing Board,” he said. “The PSNI wrested the powers of the Parades Commission and they themselves forced a UDA mob up through a Catholic area.”
Gerry Kelly said the anger was still palpable in Ardoyne five months after the loyalists were forced up the Crumlin Road as protesting nationalists were hemmed in behind walls of steel barriers.
“Anger is still felt in the Ardoyne area because Des Rea, the chairman of the Policing Board, exonerated the PSNI even before the outcome of any report.
“Martin Morgan, who was in the SDLP, said at the time the party should consider coming off the Policing Board. People won’t be surprised that the Policing Board found the PSNI had behaved properly when it was the PSNI who forced an anti-Catholic march through a Catholic area. Here you have the PSNI, who have policed this parade before, having the choice of whether to force these loyalists up the road or not. They knew it was being led by well-known UDA men and they forced it through a Catholic area. Here you have a report that doesn’t even mention that.”
A spokeswoman for the Policing Board admitted the UDA issue “was raised” but that it was nothing to do with the report.“This was our human rights lawyers considering how the police met their responsibilities in compliance with the Human Rights Act.”
Journalist:: Andrea McKernon
