Four arrests during Rasharkin parade

Published Saturday, 18 August 2012
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Four arrests were made during a contentious loyalist parade in the mainly nationalist area of Rasharkin on Friday.

Four arrests during Rasharkin parade
Crowds watched the bands parade through Rasharkin. (© UTV)

Police said the march passed off without major incident, however a "tiny minority" of those in attendance were involved in trouble.

Commander Chief Superintendent Chris Noble said: "Four arrests were made during the policing operation ranging from assault on police to public order offences however this comprised a tiny minority of those in attendance."

Hundreds turned out to watch the Ballymaconnelly Sons of Conquerors Flute Band march through the Co Antrim village.

Around 100 people carried posters and blew horns in protest.

It followed a Parades Commission decision to allow 25 bands to march in the parade, almost half the usual number.

Parade organisers had challenged the ruling but it was upheld in court earlier on Friday.

Sinn Féin welcomed the verdict while the DUP said marchers' rights had not been upheld, however both parties called for the peaceful passing of the parade.

The PSNI thanked those involved in ensuring the evening was largely incident free.

Mr Noble continued: "We would like to thank the parade organisers and local residents for their role in ensuring the parade this evening passed off without any major incident.

"This was a large and complex policing operation, which officers delivered in a personal, proportionate and professional manner. I would like to thank my officers for their efforts in enabling the event to pass off peacefully.

"Police welcome the ongoing engagement with local stakeholders to ensure challenges around parading in Rasharkin are addressed."

© UTV News
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6 Comments
Local in Rasharkin wrote (273 days ago):
@ Jimmy Mac It's a pity those protesting had'nt something better to do instead of standing blowing their little horn's and whistle's.Peter in Armagh the vast majority of those protesting on friday night do not live in Rasharkin they were brought in from other places.
jimmy mac in Canada wrote (275 days ago):
Obsessed... Orange men and orange women don't you people have nothing better to do, excepted tooting your silly wee flutes and rattling you wee war drums. Its, SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BORING....
wayne in rathcoole wrote (275 days ago):
4 Republicans arrested in & around the poc fada arranged by the anti sinn fein rasharkin residents collective, Good to see UTV showing pictures of a flute band on parade & no mention of the fact that those arrested where not parade supporters.
Linda in NI wrote (275 days ago):
All nice words from the PSNI who are afraid to offend Sin Fein. 100 republican bigots held Rasharkin to ransom. Protestants live in Rasharkin too what about their rights. Where did the protestor come from, do they live in Rasharkin I doubt it. The parades commission restrict only Protestant culture they do not monitor republican parades and Sin Fein do not highlight inapproptiate nationalist/ republican behavour - Sin Fein tell the commission to jump and they ask how high
Peter in Armagh wrote (276 days ago):
'A large and complex policing operation' to drive a march of bigots through a village, that the vast majority of them are not from, against the wishes of 80% of locals. This is fascism in it's truest form, showing Northern Ireland as an entity to be totally rotten and irreformable. Where are hand-wringers Adams and McGuinness now?
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