Police appeal for responsibility at parades
09 Jul 2010
One of Northern Ireland's most senior operational police officers has appealed to anybody involved in taking part in or protesting against sensitive parades next week to exercise restraint and responsibility to ensure a peaceful outcome.
Assistant Chief Constable Alistair Finlay said he had been encouraged by the commitment and leadership shown by community representatives following the disorder at Broadway last weekend which had made sure that the events of Friday and Saturday night were not repeated.
ACC Finlay said: “The reality is that there are more than 600 parades taking place right across Northern Ireland on the Twelfth, with more than 75,000 participants taking part.
“The vast majority pass off very peacefully with minimal policing; however, there are a small number of parades which are sensitive.
“Unfortunately, until long-term solutions are found, there is always the potential for disorder and damage to relationships.
“Ultimately, it is the community that bears the brunt of any disorder – local people’s lives are put at risk, their homes and businesses damaged and their lives are turned upside down.
“That is why it is so important that all who have influence in their community make their voice heard during times of heightened tension so that disruption to the community can be kept to a minimum.
“While I absolutely acknowledge the huge amount of work and commitment given by certain local politicians around this issue, there still remains a gap in joined-up strategic political leadership to achieve sustainable solutions to these few sensitive areas that remain.”
“In Ardoyne there is a lot of good work going on and firm community leadership being shown. We would appeal to key people with influence in both communities to continue to work to ensure that Monday’s parade does not escalate into disorder.”
ACC Finlay added: "For our part, we are committed to continue to work alongside parade and protest organisers, politicians and local communities to ensure that agreements can be reached. This is in the interest of the whole community.
"We will facilitate the right of people to parade, lawfully and peacefully. We will facilitate the right of people to protest, lawfully and peacefully. And we will facilitate the right of those who neither want to parade nor protest but to go about their everyday business with the minimum of disruption.”
ACC Finlay stressed that policing operations would not be in place one minute longer than necessary.
“We look forward to the day when major policing operations could be scaled back further and valuable resources directed at tackling crime and addressing community concerns.
“Disorder and violence not only damage peoples’ lives – they also strip valuable resources from communities. The cost of picking up the pieces and restoring local areas means less money for vital services like schools, hospitals and policing,” he said.
ACC Finlay said that Police would continue to take a robust approach against alcohol at parades.
He added: "Both parade organisers and the police are also aware of the problems that sometimes arise through the consumption of alcohol. We continue to work closely with the Orange Order and other partners to discourage excessive drinking in and around parades and other public events.
“Generally, we would urge people to behave responsibly, to show tolerance, to avoid provocation or an inappropriate response to provocation and to ensure that the events on the Twelfth and the remainder of the parading season passes without incident.
“Last year was the first time in three years that we saw major violence at a parade. No one wants to see a repeat of that. What we all want to see is a Northern Ireland that is moving forward towards a peaceful and vibrant future embracing the opportunities presented by tourism and inward investment. It is up to each and everyone one of us to continue to work towards this goal.”
