Residents Association 'astounded over midnight parade'

The Rasharkin Residents Association have released a statement regarding events at the Ballymaconnelly parade in the village on Friday night.

A spokesperson said: “There is a lot of anger amongst local residents here in the wake of the parade on Friday night and it is mainly directed at the parade organisers, the supporters of the parade and ... the PSNI who made a decision to facilitate what locals believe was an illegal parade at 12 o’clock at night.

“The hoax bomb obviously caused a lot of disturbance initially and many people had to be evacuated from Carnfinton Park, Rhencullen Park and other areas. What followed that was equally disgraceful. It was clear from police officers who were stationed at the protest area that the police were having difficulty with the thousands of parade supporters, many of whom were intoxicated, and had begun to throw missiles at police officers.

“What happened next was bizarre. The police then allowed bands to march up and down to the Glebe Road/Church Road junction on the alleged basis that initiating a march would defuse the public order situation which was developing between officers and the parade supporters - absolutely unheard of.

“We then heard it confirmed from Parades Commission officials that the PSNI would not be allowed to reverse the parade unless they secured agreement from the Commission itself. The reverse parade option had been put to the police by Unionist representatives for consideration on the night.

“The appropriate thing to do at this point would have been to cancel or reschedule the parade as it was nearing 11 o’clock. We were informed by police that they had taken views from the parade supporters who had in turn informed them that they ‘were going nowhere’ and would not be leaving until they got their parade. Rather than risk a confrontation with this loyalist mob the police decided to commence the parade in reverse in the absence of Parades Commission authority to alter the route as laid out in the determination.”

The Residents Association said they were astounded that police “had succumbed to unionist pressure” and were willing to facilitate “a midnight parade of 42 loyalist bands through a residential area.”

The spokesperson continued: “Some of the bands were facilitated in marching in front of Riverdale which was specifically excluded from the route approved by the Commission. The police essentially made the decision to facilitate this loyalist parade in Rasharkin, not the Parades Commission, who were not consulted in respect of the time delay which resulted in the parade occurring after midnight and via an unapproved route.

“They did so because they made a judgement that to push the parade through would result in a lesser public order situation The raison d’tre of the Parades Commission is to ensure that such decisions in relation to contentious parades are not predicated on who poses the greatest threat of disorder or on numerical majority. This decision creates a dangerous precedent.

“We were disgusted at the mountain of litter and broken glass which was strewn across the village after the parade. In one case women’s sanitary ware was disposed of in gardens off Church Road. There were also instances of criminal damage to vehicles and property at Church Road by supporters that have been reported to police and many people’s gardens had been used as public toilets.

“This community is angry and disgusted.”

The spokesperson continued: “It was made quite clear by marching 40 bands through Rasharkin at midnight, some of whom carried proscribed flags and played provocative music, that this is a sectarian parade.

“We have contacted our solicitors and are actively considering an action against the PSNI in respect of key aspects of the decision making process.”

And the spokesperson said they are also taking legal advice on comments made about the Residents Association by a Unionist politician which they claimed were “without foundation and which, in our opinion, place members of the group at physical risk.”

The spokesperson added: “We have engaged with senior police officers to relay the concerns the community has about this parade and we have tried to be as constructive as possible in those engagements.”

The spokesperson alleged the police decision has done “huge damage to relations with the community in Rasharkin”.

The spokesperson added: “The decision to charge Nationalists standing in a static position on the Main Street after the parade had passed was disgraceful and uncalled for.”

The spokesperson said the Association, in conjunction with the community they represent, remain of the view that police were “more reluctant to be involved in a confrontation with thousands of loyalists who had travelled to Rasharkin from other areas, many of whom were intoxicated, than to protect the basic rights and property of the residents of Rasharkin”.