PSNI chief constable accused of ‘rolling over’ in face of BLM criticism

DUP MP Sammy Wilson made the remarks after the Police Ombudsman yesterday slammed the PSNI over its handling of two Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in Belfast on June 6.

Mr Wilson has been a vocal critic of the BLM phenomenon in the past, and told the News Letter it seems like people are “afraid to open their mouths” about the movement.

BLM began in the US in 2013, aiming to protest police brutality, “resist white capitalism”, and “disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure”.

After George Floyd’s death in May, BLM supporters staged riots in the USA demanding the “defunding” and “abolition” of police.

On June 3, a protest at Belfast City Hall in support of BLM drew an estimated 2,000 people, and the police effectively took no action.

However, police then (along with cross-party political leaders) tried to dissuade organisers from staging two new protests on June 6 in Londonderry and Belfast.

At the time, the law warned people against gathering in groups of more than six from outside the same household, due to the Covid risk

When organisers went ahead anyway (drawing as many as 1,200 attendees in Londonderry and 1,000 in Belfast), officers handed out 57 fines in the former location, and 14 in the latter.

BLM supporters complained to the Police Ombudsman that the PSNI’s approach was inconsistent, especially after officers took no action at a much smaller BLM-counter protest in Belfast on July 13.

Ombudsman Marie Anderson ruled on Tuesday that during the June 6 events officers had not properly considered the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees people a right to protest.

She said “confidence in policing of some within the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities of Northern Ireland has been severely damaged” as a result.

Chief constable Simon Byrne said in response: “We tried our best to respect the public health requirements...

“However, it’s clear to me some members of the Black and Minority Ethnic Community have been frustrated, angry and upset by our policing response and our relationship with them has suffered.

“For that I am sorry, and I am determined in that regard to put things right”.

Mr Wilson said the report was bad enough, but was exacerbated by “a Chief Constable who, instead of standing up for his officers, rolls over and makes the situation worse by some of the comments he has made”.

He said the BLM supporters had “put two fingers up to the police” by proceeding with the protests during lockdown, and that they “are not some benign group”.

“The police exercised the role people would expect of them,” said Mr Wilson.

“How the public can have any confidence in a chief constable who doesn’t stand up for his officers when they’re only doing their duty?”

The PSNI offered no response to Mr Wilson.

At the time, the law warned people against gathering in groups of more than six from outside the same household, due to the Covid risk

When organisers went ahead anyway (drawing as many as 1,200 attendees in Londonderry and 1,000 in Belfast), officers handed out 57 fines in the former location, and 14 in the latter.

BLM supporters complained to the Police Ombudsman that the PSNI’s approach was inconsistent, especially after officers took no action at a much smaller BLM-counter protest in Belfast on July 13.

Ombudsman Marie Anderson ruled on Tuesday that during the June 6 events officers had not properly considered the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees people a right to protest.

She said “confidence in policing of some within the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities of Northern Ireland has been severely damaged” as a result.

Chief constable Simon Byrne said in response: “We tried our best to respect the public health requirements...

“However, it’s clear to me some members of the Black and Minority Ethnic Community have been frustrated, angry and upset by our policing response and our relationship with them has suffered.

“For that I am sorry, and I am determined in that regard to put things right”.

Mr Wilson said the report was bad enough, but was exacerbated by “a Chief Constable who, instead of standing up for his officers, rolls over and makes the situation worse by some of the comments he has made”.

He said the BLM supporters had “put two fingers up to the police” by proceeding with the protests during lockdown, and that they “are not some benign group”.

“The police exercised the role people would expect of them,” said Mr Wilson.

“How the public can have any confidence in a chief constable who doesn’t stand up for his officers when they’re only doing their duty?”

The PSNI offered no response to Mr Wilson.

Mr Wilson also voiced concerns about the Police Federation which, when asked, declined to comment on the ombudsman’s report because it was “an operational matter”.

Mr Wilson said that “people are afraid to open their mouths” when it comes to BLM and that “I’m fairly convinced the Police Federation don’t want to get drawn into a row which involves them criticising the BLM crowd... There just appears to be an unwillingness to take on certain groups. And I think if I was a policeman I’d be none too happy if my own trade union wasn’t prepared to stand up for me.”

The federation responded by saying: “The suggestion that we would withhold criticism of any group or groups is utterly false.

“When issues concerning the welfare and wellbeing of our members are involved, we are front and centre, and that will remain our position.”

Further coverage:

Click here: Justice Minister Naomi Long silent over Black Lives Matter call to defund police and founders’ praise for wanted terror figure

Click here: ‘Thousands of Northern Irish people were murdered and their crimes are unsolved – their lives matter too’

Click here: Black Co Down clergyman: Having a grievance is no excuse for endangering people with mass protests

Click here: Bobby Storey funeral controversy – ‘Inconsistent’ police should quash our fines, says Black Lives Matter supporter

Click here: SDLP figures shy away from backing party colleague’s demand for PSNI to be condemned over George Floyd rally

Click here: Black Lives Matter advocate says DUP MP ‘must recognise his role in an overall system of anti-black oppression’

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