Police 'prepared' for Twelfth parades

Published Thursday, 07 July 2011

PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott says there is room for apprehension ahead of the Twelfth of July parades next week following last month's rioting in east Belfast.

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Speaking to UTV, Mr Baggott said he is still hoping for a peaceful marching season.

"I don't expect trouble but it will be naive not to say that we have to prepare for it and we've seen the events of the last few weeks", he said.

"That was very localised but it was very intense and clearly there's room for apprehension".

Police are investigating disorder at the east Belfast interface area last month, when shots were fired and petrol bombs thrown at police as hundreds from both the loyalist and republican communities took to the streets.

The UVF were blamed for orchestrating that bout of violence, during which a press photographer was amongst those suffering gunshot wounds.

Mr Baggott says those responsible will be brought to justice.

"We always review our policing tactics and clearly on the night we were not prepared for the degree of extreme violence.

"That's not a mistake, that's not a failing. It's something we learn from."

Police have already drawn up their plans to avoid a repeat of last year's sectarian disorder in Ardoyne which lasted for three nights, with thousands of "highly trained and highly experienced" officers available next week.

"We are very prepared for anything that comes our way but our job in this is to be peacekeepers", Mr Baggott said.

"Our job is to make sure the law is upheld and people's rights are respected."

He also warned people intent on causing trouble that they will be brought before the courts.

"The vast majority of people in Northern Ireland have an intolerance towards petrol bombs being thrown, blast bombs being thrown, rocks, missiles, paving stones... and I think the courts reflected that this week with the sentencing of people that brought misery last July".

The chief constable appealed for all sides to pull back and urged young people not to be lured into trouble by paramilitaries.

Comments

14 Comments

gary in belfast wrote (320 days ago):

Tomc, agree in the most part, the commanders are to blame not the police on the ground who I'm pretty sure would like nothing more than to go in hard and make arrests and end the disorder. But consider the reaction too when big coppers are seen using force on the teenage rioters, we all know too well the uproar,cries of brutality and heavy handedness that would follow. The Police should not sit idly in their landrovers but neither should they just stand in line and get battered (Ardoyne 12/7/10). They need commanders with the guts to make a decision not be told what to do by "community workers" & MLA's, but they also need the support of the public if they do deal firmly with rioters, and that includes the press. I for one would be delighted to see the Police use aggressive tactics and end the disorder rather than be there for target practice and turn the pressure up on the water cannon that might help!

Marc in Lisburn wrote (321 days ago):

@ Kevin - Yes I am extremely pleased that UTV have shown my comment. I am even more pleased that the UTV team have now edited this article to mention the role of Republicans in the rioting witnessed at the Short Strand interface as there was no mention of republican involvement in this article in its original state which was why I made my comment. The original article mentioned Loyalist rioting and the fact that a journalist had been shot... but it did NOT clarify that the shot which hit the journalist had come from republicans on the Short Strand side of the interface. That was why I felt that this story had been reported in a misleading manner, as anybody who was not aware of the events that unfolded in east Belfast could easily have interpreted this to mean that the reporter had been shot by Loyalists! That would not be fair and unbiased reporting. I would like to thank the UTV team for rectifying this and for showing my comment and I hope this comment will also be shown. P.S - Guilpin - The fact that you must respond to my comment by calling me pathetic and implying that I am a child with your comment of about giving your ball back as you are going in just shows your mentality, and in your own words...it's a little pathetic.

Tim in belfast wrote (321 days ago):

go and catch yourselfs on the UVF are to blame they orchestrated this violence and the police is one sided and on yours this is a fact as look at the amount of people arrested for riotig in ardoyne and in other nationalst areas you dont see many of these arrests in rathcoole or in east belfast do you???

Guilpin in Earth wrote (321 days ago):

Marc, did anybody ever tell ye you're pathetic? Give me my ball back I'm away in.

Tomc in Belfast wrote (322 days ago):

Baggott you are such a blatant liar! The police were prepared for the disorder in East Belfast yet you and your command's tactics were the failing. You decided not to go hard. You decided no to take the upper hand. You decided not to push back and be more forceful. It's not about learning, police in this country have had 40 plus years of learning. It's about you turning the other cheek. Peacekeepers? Laughable! The guys on the ground aren't there to act as a sponge for violence, they are not cannon fodder, let them do their job as directed by the local commanders who have the will and experience to deal with the violence. You and your command are frightened to take decisive action, in order to appease the scum that create the problem. For goodness sake, show the decent law abiding people we have a police service to be proud off and get real. You may think it's ok to turn the other cheek......in reality we want to see police taking control and showing the perpetrators who is in charge...not standing back and allowing them to think that sthey can do what they want. If this was mainland UK we'd be a laughing stock......I'm ashamed at what our police have become, on the back of gutless yes men decision makers. You are in charge Baggott...not the monkey's on the hill. Stop pandering to the idiots who were elected on an orange and green vote and not for what they stand for. We should not be seeing Police sitting in landrovers because of the sight of a gun, or because it doesn't sit well with appeasement!

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