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While Orange lodges across Ulster have to fill in forms for
even the smallest of parades, major nationalist events on
public highways go unchallenged by the authorities, it has
been revealed.
In an astonishing admission, the PSNI has highlighted that
organisers of road bullets, or road bowls, played in areas
such as south Armagh, do not have to apply for permission
to block roads and bring hundreds of people onto the public
highway.
The comment is tantamount to an admission that the authorities
are operating a one-sided approach in relation to public events.
Central to the issue is that sport of road bowls, which can
see up to a thousand followers block roads, creating not only
traffic problems but also making locals from the unionist
and Protestant traditions feel uncomfortable.
While an Orange lodge of around 30 members has to fill in
the required forms for a simple church parade in the country,
the sport of road bowls remains immune.
And the only reason would appear to be that it is a sport
played exclusively by nationalists and Roman Catholics. Road
bowlers are not required to make any application to the police
to stage events.
And the PSNI, in a written response under the Freedom of
Information Act, has stated that "There is currently
no requirement for the organisers of this sport to apply for
permission or give notice to the PSNI of their intention."
"The PSNI are aware that a small number of complaints
have been received in recent years indicating that members
of the public have been obstructed by those engaged in the
sport," the response stated, adding that police were
sent to the area to speak to organisers "with a view
to advising them of the problem and providing advice on the
relevant legislation."
While the police engaged with the organisers of two or three
major tournaments, the PSNI admitted that "more frequently
road bowls are played on an ad hoc basis without the knowledge
or engagement of the PSNI."
Our information is also that there have been no attempts
by police to arrest or prosecute anyone who involves themselves
in gambling on the results of match tournaments.
Indeed, so ludicrous is the situation that, if local Protestants
were to organise a protest against road bowls, the law as
it stands would discriminate in favour of those who caused
disruption in the first place by staging the road bowls.
Clearly this is an issue of equality and, while no one is
trying to prevent road bowlers enjoying their sport, it should
be brought under legislation and, to use a sporting analogy,
a level playing field needs to be created.
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