The Orange Order has accused senior PSNI Officers of gross
incompetence over their failure to protect lawful Orange Parades
in the face of orchestrated attacks from nationalists.
A spokesman said : Second-rate policing has made Orangemen
second-class citizens when it comes to security.
Senior Orangemen today met the PSNI to protest at attacks
on the Tour of the North Orange Parade last week
and on last nights Carnmoney District Parade. The incidents
have also been reported to the Police Ombudsman and will be
raised at Stormont.
In last nights incident, nationalists ambushed the
Carnmoney Orangemen with bricks, bottles and balloons filled
with urine. Those present described the PSNI reaction as confused
and hysterical with troublemakers allowed to get as
close as 20 yards to the parade.
This was a pre-planned attack on a properly notified
parade that met with all the requirements laid down by the
authorities and was tightly supervised by Orange Order marshals.
The PSNI must have known in advance of the potential
for trouble but as with last weeks Tour of the
North- their response was inadequate and inept the spokesman
said.
It was stated that with a large number of Orange Parades
planned across the Province in the next two weeks, the PSNI
had to get a grip on the situation to avoid the risk of widespread
civil disorder.
Community tensions are high enough already. The Orange
Order is determined to behave responsibly. We have voluntarily
re-routed a number of parades to avoid flash points and we
have told potential troublemakers from the Unionist community
that theyre not welcome and to stay away. The Order
has always supported the Police, but at the moment the PSNI
is failing to play its part and provide proper policing.
|
