Public urged not to ‘rush to judgment’ over Belfast protest arrests

By Jonathan McCambridge (PA)

The public have been urged by a senior police officer not to “rush to judgment” over an incident in which two women were arrested during a pro-Palestinian protest in Belfast.

The Policing Board was told that the Police Ombudsman was now to investigate the actions of PSNI officers last month given the high level of public interest.

Concerns were raised during the board’s monthly meeting over the police response to the incident, with one member stating it had been prompted by a sticker being placed on a bank ATM machine.

Sue Pentel, a high-profile campaigner against Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip, was one of two women detained by officers on suspicion of criminal damage during a protest in Belfast city centre in May.

Ms Pentel, 72, and the other woman who was arrested, who is in her 50s, were released pending a report to Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution Service (PPS).

SDLP Policing Board member Mark Durkan said there had been considerable public concern and anger at the two arrests.

PSNI Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said: “From conversations I have had with the Police Ombudsman’s office yesterday, I understand that they are going to call themselves in on that particular incident given the public interest there has been in it.

“We absolutely understand the depth of feeling that people have around the urgency of the situation in the Middle East and how passionately they feel about it.

“There is hardly a day goes past without a demonstration or a protest of some shape or form happening in Belfast or Derry/Londonderry.

“Conservatively, I would say over the last 20 months we have facilitated many hundreds of pro-Palestinian protests.”

He said the vast majority of demonstrations passed off without incident.

Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said there had been significant social media criticism of the police actions.

He added: “I have the luxury of seeing the body-worn video of the time and I was satisfied, as I have said, around the courtesy and professionalism with which the officers dealt with those that were protesting.

“I don’t think that is disputed.”

Mr Singleton said: “People won’t have seen everything that has happened so maybe it is appropriate to urge people not to rush to judgment on it.

“We will see what PONI (Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland) have to say about the incident and I can assure you, if there are any lessons that need to learned in respect of it, we will certainly adopt it.”

Mr Durkan said the courtesy of the officers was not the issue, but the proportionality of the police response to the incident.

Sinn Fein board member Gerry Kelly said the issue had arisen over a sticker that had been placed on a bank machine, which he said was removed by a member of staff.

He added: “I understand it was an emergency call made from the bank and four or five police officers came immediately about a sticker on the bank.

“That is the stuff that is widely known. A lot of people, including myself, think that it wasn’t proportionate when you compare it with many other incidents where clearly action needed to be taken.

“Let’s be very clear, people are very sore about what happened.”

Mr Henderson said: “I think it is important to be clear that there has been a statement of complaint from the property owner which then clearly says they are making an accusation around a potential crime and therefore that starts to bring down one course of action in terms of where it goes.”

Activist Sue Pentel, (72), who was arrested during a pro-Palestinian protest in Belfast last week, spoke to crowds of supporters outside Barclays Bank on Saturday. PICTURE: COLM LENAGHAN