LISTEN: PSNI urge protestors not to engage in further mass gatherings

by Rebecca Black, PA and Q Radio News

A senior PSNI officer has made a strong appeal to protesters not to take part in demonstrations this weekend.

Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd said his officers are engaging with organisers of Black Lives Matter gatherings to explain the coronavirus regulations, adding if the warnings are ignored then enforcement will be used.

He made the comments ahead of three planned demonstrations across Northern Ireland this weekend over the death of George Floyd in police custody in the United States last week.

Mr Todd later revealed that he understood planned protests in Newry, Portadown and Omagh had been cancelled by organisers.

Events planned for Belfast and Derry/Londonderry on Saturday were, on Friday evening, expected to proceed.

ACC Alan Todd on protests:

“Such gatherings are a risk to public health and in breach of the current Health Regulations. I would appeal to anyone thinking about attending them not to – and instead find more responsible and innovative ways to make their voice heard."

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— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) June 5, 2020

Mr Todd described the protest as "valid" but warned that public gatherings of more than six people are against coronavirus regulations.

Up to 2,000 people gathered in Belfast city centre on Wednesday to express their support for the Black Lives Matter campaign.

(People filled the streets of Belfast on Wednesday to protest against racism and the death of George Floyd in the US)

First Minister Arlene Foster described it as a breach of the law and urged that there should be no repeat of it.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said she was fully supportive of the Black Lives Matter campaign but urged those involved to find other ways to show solidarity.

Mr Todd said the decision was taken not to pursue prosecutions over Wednesday's event bearing in mind the numbers had taken both organisers and police by surprise, adding a "balanced judgement" was made not to pursue potentially lengthy investigations.

He said a proportionality test in terms of the amount of time it would have to invest in bringing charges against anyone present was applied.

But he said this weekend "is not Wednesday".

.@PoliceServiceNI ACC Alan Todd says all anti-racism protests planned to take place this weekend mustn't go ahead.

He says police officers support people's right to protest against George Floyd's death but can't support breaking the law and restrictions to do so.

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— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) June 5, 2020

(Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd speaking to Q Radio News)

"The organisers could not honestly say that they didn't expect that number of people to turn up and with that knowledge we need all to be responsible," he told the PA news agency.

"I have a very clear message to organisers, the best way to resolve this for everybody's interests is to call off these events.

"Large crowd protests are at this time inappropriate.

"If people choose to ignore these warnings and with all the advice and guidance from the chief medical officer, healthcare professionals, from police, from political representatives across the spectrum, if people choose to ignore all that and break the law then there will have to be consequences.

"People can take my messaging today as being my engagement with them, my explanation, and my encouraging them to obey the law - if they choose to ignore the first three Es they can expect over the weekend to find enforcement being used."

Mr Todd said any gathering of more than six people is against coronavirus regulations, as is travelling for a protest.

He added: "On any other day as a police service we would be fully facilitating those protests in a peaceful and lawful manner with the organisers, however this is not any other day, we're in the middle of a pandemic and gathering in crowds, socially distanced or otherwise, is both a risk to public health and a breach of the health protection regulations.

"It seems to be somewhat ironic that we would protest the avoidable and unnecessary death of an individual in the United States by risking unnecessary and avoidable deaths in Northern Ireland."