The State response to Ardoyne community objection to loyalist coat trailing parades passing their homes is nothing less than political policing at its worst states the north Belfast IRSP.
The IRSP in north Belfast have strongly critisised the Stormont regime for once again forcing a loyalist parade through Ardoyne/Mountainview. We witnessed on Saturday morning the P.S.N.I., Stormont ministers and a rag taggle of misfits bussed in from other parts of Belfast to masquerade as Ardoyne residents in an effort to enable the Apprentice Boys to march through the area. This triumvirate of the Stormont state attempted to dictate who could protest and who couldn’t on Saturday morning.
Many genuine residents of Ardoyne were prevented from having a peaceful protest, as is their right, amongst those whose freedom of movement was restricted were IRSP members who were there to observe that residents were not abused by the forces of the state.
The IRSP reject the attempt by Sinn Fein/PSNI and paid vigilantes to not only police the Ardoyne community and enable a loyalist parade, but also to tell the community what to do and think! We support the residents of Ardoyne who know how to act and what to think themselves, without political interference.
We condemn in the strongest terms the capitulation of elected representatives whose role is to protect the rights of the Ardoyne residents not fritter them away on a wave of political expediency.
Statement Ends
