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Dublin: 8 °C Sunday 19 May, 2013

PSNI officers meet with loyalists in bid to end protests

Senior officers met with the Ulster People’s Forum over the protests which have been ongoing for almost two months.

Loyalists react during clashes with nationalists at the Short Strand area of Belfast earlier this month
Loyalists react during clashes with nationalists at the Short Strand area of Belfast earlier this month
Image: Paul Faith/PA Wire

SENIOR POLICE IN Northern Ireland have met with loyalists in a bid to bring to an end the spate of protests which have left dozens injured and seen scores arrested over the past two months.

A PSNI spokesperson described the discussion between police officers and the Ulster People’s Forum as “frank and constructive” and said the focus was on how all protests need to remain within the boundaries set by the law.

The Ulster People’s Forum is a new group which has been closely associated with the current wave of protests. The group’s spokesman Willie Frazer made headlines earlier this month with his plan to bring a protest to Leinster House in Dublin.

The Ulster People’s Forum has agreed to focus on legal and peaceful protests, the PSNI said.

“Discussion also took place in relation to the human rights framework that underpins policing, breaches of the law and the associated criminal justice strategy that is being implemented,” a PSNI statement said.

“Police welcome the announcement from the Ulster People’s Forum which encourages legal, peaceful protest. Senior police officers have agreed to meet with the Ulster People’s Forum in the future”.

The escalating violent protests began when Belfast City Council voted on 2 December to reduce the number of days the Union flag flies over the City Hall.

The protests in recent days have focused on occupying roads and stopping traffic from passing.

Read: Adams apologises to family of Jerry McCabe and others killed by republicans >

Read: Murder attempt on Omagh police officer >

Read: Alliance Party calls for legislation on flags and emblems >

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Comments (40 Comments)

  • What a mess :(

    Reply
    • Ulster People’s Forum! You have to laugh. Are Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal represented in your Forum? Or is it just a bunch of mindless, Linfield supporting thugs? What do they have against democracy? Oh that’s right, it’s not their kind of democracy! Move on or you will be left behind in 1690.

      Reply
    • John F 31/01/13 #

      Whats even more troubling is that the PSNI are pandering to them, Do you think they’d be sitting down with Nationalist asking them why are ya’s upset?

      Reply
  • really these people think that by destroying the city and its trade and tourism income that the city council will just go oh ok you win?!? grow up fools.

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  • Paul H 31/01/13 #

    Jesus wept! The amount of lazy journalism and downright disinformation that passes for news is beyond a joke. The photo’ above states “Loyalists REACT during clashes with Nationalist..” Christine this was a concerted ATTACK on a small Nationalist enclave.

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    • Paul, the original caption on the photograph as supplied by the photo agency said “Loyalists react after being attacked by Nationalists throwing stones”. It was tweaked to say “Loyalists react during clashes with nationalists…” because there’s clearly ambiguity and uncertainty over who attacked who. That’s it. No need to have a go – there’s a way to make a point without slagging someone off.

      Reply
    • @paul,I agree.
      Regularly someone has to point out flaws on the journal,not to mention the most misleading headlines I have ever seen

      Reply
    • Steve, if you ever see a problem with an article, just press the ‘Send a Correction’ button which you can see at the end of every piece. Otherwise, if you don’t like the site that much, you don’t have to read it – lots of other sites out there.

      Reply
    • Christine that’s a great way to encourage viewers,I can imagine anyone reading your comment thinks a lot of the journals ethics,seriously your telling people to leave,say your boss loves you

      Reply
    • I fear this job may drive you poor guys mad. No publication I’ve seen does not have a corrections page. Mistakes are made in daily journalism, simple as.

      Suggestions:

      1: Put in place an small elite proof reading staff to act as a final sieve.
      2: Have a colleague read the comments on your articles and vice verca. Better to hear critisism from a mate.
      3: Inist to your editors that getting the story right beats getting the story first, everytime.

      Dont let it grind you down.

      Reply
  • Mike El 31/01/13 #

    At the end of the day, they’re just a bunch of hooligans who have too much time on their hands. No doubt they are claiming welfare off the very council they’re protesting against. There should be a law put in place that anyone who takes part in violent protests should be refused welfare of any sort. That should calm them down a bit.

    Reply
  • PSNI: What issues do you have

    Ulster Forum Rep: “Demun’s took down our fleg see and dared called it democracy, just because there is more of ‘em in Belfast and they had a vote, see. It not fair, so it isn’t. Just a bunch of Spides and taigs, so they are. We’re hurtin bad that our politicians have only backed us in secret and by not condemning us. We’re hurtin so bad that we had to attack a taig special needs school so we did, dere all special like but it was Gerry Adams that forced us. Did you know that it was Tim saboteur’s that sunk the Titanic in 1912 as part of the 1916 rising on the orders of the pope. “

    Reply
  • If Willie Frazer is the spokesperson for this umbrella group of loyalism, then they are seriously lacking in progressive, sensible and articulate leadership. The police sitting down with group representing 2 months of illegal rioting (including the attempted murder of a female officer), to see if they can come up with a way to make the rioting less illegal! Unbelievable stuff.

    Reply
    • Willie Frazer who believes that it was the IRA behind the recent horse burger incident and that a Catholic Primary School was an IRA training camp because it had the Italian flag flying over it, as their was visitors from a School in Italy. With that kind of reasoning you just know he is was always going to be a big light in Unionism.

      Reply
  • Bunch of relics

    Reply
  • ‘PSNI officers meet with loyalists in bid to end protests’…. Brothers in arms

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  • I often wonder why, when I’m driving through the north, that it’s loyalists who have to paint their kerbs and fly their flags much more than nationalists. As it is now, it’s part of Britain. Do they really need to remind themselves of this?

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  • maybe when they get out of order when having their so called protests that instead of just using the water cannon that the PSNI should add some sort of DYE to the water… i wonder how many would be happy to go to work the following morning with a blue face and hands for example…(those that do work off course) and the following day the PSNI could just go around a arrest anything that has dye on it face etc… easy way to identify the hooligans!!!

    Reply
  • They should do a ‘Braveheart’ on it. Organize the meeting, then burn the building to the ground. That will at least get rid of some of these tossers.

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  • Irish trade union leaders have really shown themselves up on this issue. It seems if you heckle Jack O’Connor you’re a fascist but if you wreck the offices of a political party because you disagree with a decision they made in a democratically elected Council and block the entrances of hospitals it doesn’t warrant a response.

    Reply
  • Appeasement only works until they disagree with another democratic decision ………

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  • Gerard 31/01/13 #

    Of course no comment from Patrick Lyons the Brit only makes comments if its bout republicans or SF

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  • Until this Island has a full Truth and Reconcilliation program, and the Hooligans/dissidents/extremists on all sides come face to face with the victims of their criminal activities … These poor excuses for human beings are never going to realise, there are no enemies … we are all in this together. Loyalists have nothing to fear, and neither do the Nationalists ….
    Until it happens, hatred & suspicions will lead the North back down a very dark alley. The British and Irish Governments refuse to support the Natiuonal Truth and reconciliation program… It worked in South Africa, and Nelson Mandela/Desmond Tutu have both said they are will to help chair such a commission here.

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    • Took the brits 40 years to admit Bloody Sunday,over 200 to apologise for the Famine and i figure we are still due an apology for the partition of our country so i wont hold my breath.Even if it happened tomorrow all the soldiers got off scot free and have nice shiny medals for their state sponsored terror campaign.

      Reply
  • malcom 31/01/13 #

    They should fly the polish flag over city hall after all it is the second most spoken language in the uk problem solved

    Reply
  • Sadly,We will never see a trouble free north

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    • There is a trouble free North now, just in 2 or 3 small patches with a couple hundred rioting in total. The Shankill rd was as quiet as a sleeping babe during all this. This is a DUP power play to get back the MP seat from alliance and the UVF in East Belfast flexing muscles due to legal difficulties that its bosses are facing. If cases fall apart, rioters might stay at home as luck would have it.

      Reply
  • Can’t see a continuous riots in a nationalist area the PSNI going in to just talk to republicans if any nationalist forum existed. Most if the PSNI still Orange order members and probably discussing with their loyal brethren the next trip to Ibrox.

    Reply

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