Fury over PSNI parade comments
Unionist and republican politicians reacted furiously to a suggestion from a senior police chief that they were not doing enough to ease community tensions in the run-up to this summer’s marching season.
Assistant Chief Constable Alistair Finlay’s remarks provoked an angry response from Stormont ministers who represent both sides of the interface at the notorious Ardoyne flashpoint in north Belfast.
Sinn Fein’s Gerry Kelly accused ACC Finlay of arrogance and unnecessarily raising tensions while his DUP counterpart Nelson McCausland branded his comments as ill-informed and ill-considered.
In reaction to the comments Junior minister Mr Kelly said: “The question to ACC Finlay is why did he do it and where does he get the arrogance to say that there’s not enough being done when in fact throughout the year – not just at this time coming into the marching season – politicians like myself, community workers, residents groups and all others are trying their best to de-escalate the situation.
“This has done nothing more than to escalate the situation so I think he needs to explain why he had such an intervention and what the PSNI are doing about this.”
Culture minister Mr McCausland said he was “deeply disappointed” by the ACC’s public comments about politicians.
“We are not detached from the issues and we work alongside the community in doing all we can to ensure that there is a peaceful and quiet summer,” he said.
“If Mr Finlay has a message to relay to politicians he can do that most effectively by lifting the telephone or arranging a meeting.
“There is no need for megaphone diplomacy via the radio and television. I and my colleagues have met him in the past to discuss parades and protests and have no doubt that we will do so again.
“As an elected representative I face up to my responsibility and to suggest otherwise is unfair, unfounded and unfortunate.
“I would suggest that Mr Finlay recall the meetings we have had with him personally on these matters and I would also suggest that he speaks to his officers in north and west Belfast. It is always good to find out the facts before making a statement.
“We have been working to resolve problems around parades and protests for many years, long before ACC Finlay arrived in Northern Ireland, and we continue to do so.”
Mr Kelly challenged the officer to name those representatives he felt needed to do more.
“If he wants to name the politicians who are lazy, the politicians who are not doing any work, then he should go the full whack, since he has gone public now, and say who they are,” he added.
Mr Finlay made the controversial claim in a wider appeal for more leadership across society in the build-up to the marching season.
He said politicians needed to be more pro-active in averting trouble rather than viewing violence as inevitable.
“There’s an opportunity to be pro-active,” he said.
“There’s an opportunity to do the right thing and show political leadership rather than maybe do what people want to hear or wait until the situation goes wrong and then criticise and crow over it.”
Noting that the cost of policing parades last year totalled £3m, he said the money could have been spent elsewhere if agreements around contentious parades had been reached.
“Why should violence at parades be inevitable?” he asked later.
“It absolutely shouldn’t be, and it’s up to all of us to make sure it’s not.”
There are concerns that dissidents may try to disrupt parades in some areas.
