Chief constable rejects protests bias claim

Northern Ireland’s most senior policeman Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde today rejected claims by unionists that his officers were failing to be even handed when policing parades protests.

Democratic Unionist Policing Board members Ian Paisley Junior and Sammy Wilson raised concerns at a public meeting featuring the Chief Constable that a softly softly approach was being adopted towards republican protesters while loyalists faced the full rigour of the law.

The DUP members claimed there appeared to be a pattern where no-one was charged following republican protests in Dunloy in Co Antrim and also a republican parade in Ballymena.

Mr Paisley said: “There is a pattern building up here which any suspicious mind will say after the Strabane incident where republicans were identified and still no cases, we have the Maghera incident, we have the Fisherwick one (in Ballymena) and now the Dunloy incident.

“It is very easy under that cloud for the public to say that there are two laws that operate in Northern Ireland.

“If you are republican the police will take the time and go softly, softly and will not upset the (security) normalisation agenda but if you are a loyalist, you get the full rigour of the law.

“Now let me tell you if you break the law you should face the full burden of the law whether you are a loyalist, a republican or A N Other. The police should move against you.

“It really sticks in my craw and a lot of people in Northern Ireland too but there appears to be a pattern that if you are a republican engaged in organised civil disturbance, the police soft pedal. I hope you are not under orders to soft pedal.”

The DUP were reacting to Assistant Chief Constable Peter Sheridan’s confirmation at the meeting that out of 24 potential offenders identified as having staged an illegal roadblock on July 12 in the village of Dunloy, preventing an Orange Order march, no-one had been charged.

Mr Sheridan also confirmed that police were reviewing police videos of a republican parade in Ballymena with evidence being prepared for the public prosecution service but as yet no-one had been charged.

Sir Hugh, however, insisted that is officers had been even handed throughout the difficult summer marching season in Northern Ireland.

“It is exactly this sort of statement, with its selective use of individual cases, that I do not find particularly helpful,” he responded to Mr Paisley.

“If the suggestion is that one side is winning and one side is losing, I think that leads into a far bigger concern that I have around everyone’s responsibility about maintaining the rule of law and order and preventing disorder and it is not very helpful quite frankly.

“The reality is that if you look at the parades, the marching season across the piece, you would see an even handed and level response.

“You forgot to mention the twelfth of July where a concerted and major police operation is currently running and a large number of people have been prosecuted because the police service was defending the rights (of Orange Men to march), so determined by the Parades Commission for three loyal orders to walk up past the Ardoyne shop fronts.

“One hundred and five police officers were injured at that particular event. People have been identified, arrested and charged.

“In terms of the softly, softly approach, there is something around proportionality here and it is worth reminding people of the Human Rights Act and our obligations under it.

“That is why when peaceful protest or fairly peaceful and minor events such as blocking roads on both sides of the divide, be it in relation to the ’Free Sean Kelly’ campaign and loyalist concerns and women blocking roads, you saw exactly the same even handed approach.

“It is not fair and appropriate to claim that individual cases are indicative of uneven behaviour by police officers.”