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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Protests scupper policing meeting | Protests scupper policing meeting |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A meeting on policing in Belfast has had to be abandoned following republican protests. | A meeting on policing in Belfast has had to be abandoned following republican protests. |
| The meeting of the south-Belfast sub-committee of the city's district policing partnership was taking place in the Markets area of Belfast. | The meeting of the south-Belfast sub-committee of the city's district policing partnership was taking place in the Markets area of Belfast. |
| Chairman Pat McCarthy, of the SDLP, said about 20 republican protestors holding placards disrupted it. | |
| "It was particularly targeted at myself and the two Sinn Fein councillors on the DPP," he said. | "It was particularly targeted at myself and the two Sinn Fein councillors on the DPP," he said. |
| "I'd asked the council officers who service the DPP committee what they thought and they told me that it was the worst protest, demonstration, they had ever witnessed and they were a bit apprehensive," he said. | "I'd asked the council officers who service the DPP committee what they thought and they told me that it was the worst protest, demonstration, they had ever witnessed and they were a bit apprehensive," he said. |
| "Because of it I decided to call the meeting off." | "Because of it I decided to call the meeting off." |
| Mr McCarthy said that he was "jostled" before calling off the meeting. | Mr McCarthy said that he was "jostled" before calling off the meeting. |
| The PSNI's area commander Michele Larmour said she was "deeply disappointed" by the events. | |
| "Being part of the DPP gives us the opportunity to answer questions and to address issues raised by residents from the local area," she said. | |
| This was as much a protest against us as a party engaging with policing as it was against the police Alex Maskey Sinn Fein | |
| "It is disappointing that we have been unable to do that this evening but we look forward to having the opportunity to do this again." | |
| Policing Board chairman Des Rea said everyone has the right to peaceful protest "but the behaviour displayed at tonight's meeting was unacceptable". | |
| Sinn Fein Policing Board member Alex Maskey was in the audience. | |
| "Some of them (the protesters), would have been former Sinn Fein supporters, some would never have supported Sinn Fein," he said. | |
| "This was as much a protest against us as a party engaging with policing as it was against the police. | |
| "We have a mandate from people in the Markets to engage, but I feel it was a mistake to organise a meeting without talking to people in the local community." | |
| DPPs operate as sub-committees of local councils, advising on policing priorities and holding police commanders in their areas to account. | DPPs operate as sub-committees of local councils, advising on policing priorities and holding police commanders in their areas to account. |
| The partnerships fall under the auspices of the Policing Board, which holds the PSNI as a whole to account. | The partnerships fall under the auspices of the Policing Board, which holds the PSNI as a whole to account. |
| In January, Sinn Fein voted to back the PSNI for the first time, with party representatives taking their seats on the Policing Board for the first time in May. | In January, Sinn Fein voted to back the PSNI for the first time, with party representatives taking their seats on the Policing Board for the first time in May. |