Loyalist groups refuse to co-operate with PSNI
Exclusive: Officers told not to expect community workers’ help in defusing potential trouble
THE PSNI has been told not to expect help from loyalist community workers any longer, as tensions continue to rise in opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Community police officers were informed recently that they could no longer seek the assistance of loyalist community workers in east Belfast, Ards and North Down, to help defuse any potential public order situations.
Community workers refused to help control crowds that gathered on the streets of east Belfast on Sunday following an Old Firm game weeks after of Rangers’ Scottish Premiership win.
Sources say that loyalists were approached to ask if they could help prevent any large gatherings in breach of Covid restrictions, but they refused.
Hundreds later gathered in several locations, despite the efforts of police to appeal to community leaders to use their influence to prevent any breaches.
A senior DUP member was also told by loyalists there would no longer be co-operation with local policing.
LOYALIST community groups have withdrawn from working along with the PSNI, as tensions continue to rise in opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Sources say that community police officers were informed in recent days that they could no longer seek the assistance of loyalist community workers in east Belfast, Ards and North Down, to help defuse any potential public order situations.
A senior member of the DUP was also told by loyalists that there would no longer be any cooperation with local policing.
Loyalist community workers refused to help control crowds of youths that gathered on the streets of east Belfast on Sunday following Glasgow’s Old Firm game between Celtic and Rangers, just weeks after Rangers’ Scottish Premiership win.
Sources say that loyalists were approached to ask if they could help prevent any large gathering sin breach of Covid restric- tions, but that they refused to co- operate.
Hundreds of people later gathered in several locations, despite the efforts of police to appeal to those within the community to use their influence to prevent breaches of Covid legislation.
The PSNI has been approached for comment.
The fallout from the Brexit withdrawal agreement continues to cause tensions. Yesterday, prominent loyalists warned the body tackling paramilitary activity that the NI Protocol could destabilise the region and bring down Stormont.
A delegation from the Loyalist Communities Council (LCC) — including chairman David Campbell, and leading loyalists Winston Ervine, Jim Wilson and Jimmy Birch — met with the Independent Reporting Commission (IRC) yesterday.
The LCC, an umbrella group representing the views of the UVF, UDA and Red Hand Commando, said it discussed its recent letter to the Prime Minister with the IRC. The letter sparked concern after the loyalist groups said they were withdrawing their support for the Good Friday Agreement due to the NI Protocol, which has created a trade barrier between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
In a statement, the LCC said at their meeting with the IRC, they “emphasised their considered view that the NI Protocol, if not changed to be consistent with the Rights and Guarantees contained within the Belfast Agreement, had the capacity to destabilise Northern Ireland and bring down the Institutions of the Agreement”.
They added :“The LCC membersstressed they would do all within their power to maintain peace and reiterated their appeal that opposition had to be political and constitutional in nature.”
Over the weekend graffiti stating ‘All peace deals off ’ appeared in the Bowtown estate in Newtownards. It was signed PAF, believed to the Protestant Action force, a cover name used by the UVF to claim shootings and bombings during the Troubles.
It also referenced the Chief Constable and PCTF (Paramilitary Crime Task Force) with crosshair targets.
Meanwhile, a DUP minister has rejected a suggestion his party is considering collapsing Stormont in protest at Brexit’s Irish Sea trading border. Education Minister Peter Weir was responding to weekend comments by LCC chairman Mr Campbell, who suggested the DUP was contemplating the move.
He also dismissed a report that the party was set to block the passage of Irish language legislation at Stormont amid the intensifying row over the NI Protocol.
Mr Weir said he was “bemused” by both claims.
It’s understood that Mr Campbell is standing by his claims. In an interview with the Sunday Independent, he claimed DUP leader Arlene Foster had told the LCC that collapsing the Executive was within her party’s “thinking”, but only after all other avenues to ditch the protocol had been exhausted. Mr Weir said his party was urging Mr Campbell to clarify his remarks, insisting the issue had not been raised at a recent meeting between the LCC and the DUP leadership.
The minister said collapsing Stormont would be“counter productive ”.
“That is not what we’re about,” he said. “We’re about actually trying to make sure Northern Ireland works, works for everyone.”
Yesterday, BBC Radio Ulster’s Nolan Show quoted a DUP source claiming the party would not allow the introduction of an Irish Language Act at Stormont while the protocol remained.
A commitment to introduce an act was a main plank of the New Decade, New Approach (NDNA) deal that restored devolution. But Mr Weir again moved to distance the party from the suggestion it would not honour its NDNA commitments.
“We’re committed to devolution, we’re committed to NDNA,” he said. He added: “You know, we’re somewhat bemused by some of the reports and I’m not going to get too much into some of the comments that are unattributable comments.”
A DUP party statement later said “dialogue and political discussion” were the ways to resolve concerns around the protocol.
“We remain committed to New Decade, New Approach. All of these issues must be addressed and resolved along with the NDNA commitments if we are to achieve stability for Northern Ireland. The way forward is through dialogue and political discussion.”
‘That (collapsing Stormont) is not what we are about. We’re about trying to make sure Northern Ireland works for everyone’