Residents of the
Short Strand have criticised the PSNI over a UVF parade on Friday night
that saw around 30 men with hooded faces following the bands.
But despite concealing identity being an offence, the PSNI did
nothing to stop the loyalists accompanying the East Belfast UVF band.
A protest was held by residents of the Short Strand who have also protested to the Parades Commission.
One caller to the Andersonstown News yesterday said the actions
of those accompanying the march was "intimidating" whilst the police
"did nothing".
"This band had around 30 men with hoods and scarves at the
junction of Short Strand. Almost every band was carrying UVF flags. We
complained about the men with the East Belfast UVF band to the police
and those in charge went over to them and spoke to two of the men. Then
they came back and told us they were going to move a wee bit. We
couldn't believe it.
"They then moved down near Sirocco works. Another band came down
with another 30 men who walked round the back of the garage around
to the Sydenham bypass. Then there was one man in his sixties who broke
away and wanted to go up the Newtownards Road. The PSNI approached
Short Strand interface workers and asked them to guarantee his safety.
We couldn't believe it. He had broken through the cordon and community
workers from Short Strand had to accompany him. It was a recipe for
disaster. This was all with two top PSNI officers in East Belfast, four
authorised officers of the Parades Commission and an observer from the
British/Irish Secretariat."
Paddy Murray of Kevin Winters Solicitors, who is representing
the residents, witnessed the incident and said it was "a cynical
attempt to intimidate Short Strand residents."
"There were in all around 70 mainly young men who were not
part of the march. They were marshalled to walk up to the protesters to
face them masked. They obviously had been marshalled and ordered to
stand there. Once the parade passed they disappeared. They didn't
proceed with the bands onward to the city centre, so it was a
deliberate attempt to intimidate," he said.
Paddy Murray said he would be writing to the Police Ombudsman in relation to the incident.
A spokeswoman for the PSNI said no arrests had been made and added that the men were supporters.
"The parade in East Belfast on Friday was policed in accordance
with the normal procedure. No Parades Commission determination was
made. The men in question were supporters of the band and moved on
voluntarily after consultation. A confrontation was averted."
