Heavy police presence as pro-Palestine march and rival demo pass off peacefully
Large crowds gathered in the Co Down village of Scarva on Saturday ahead of the passing of the march on the nearby towpath.
A pro-Palestine march and counter-protest have passed off without major incident in Co Down amid a heavy police presence.
Police officers, armoured Land Rovers, riot squad members and water cannons were among resources in place ahead of the events in the afternoon.
The Great March for Gaza, organised by the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) in Lurgan, set off from the Co Armagh town towards Newry, to represent the 25-mile length of the Gaza Strip.
It aims to raise money for Palestine Aid Ireland and Children Not Numbers.
The procession travelled along the Newry towpath for part of the way, passing Scarva, where local residents had raised objections.
The Parades Commission granted permission for the march, but placed a number of conditions on it, including that no participant should enter Scarva.
Meanwhile, a group called Scarva Concerned Residents had permission for a demonstration on Scarva Bridge, with conditions including refraining from “provocative behaviour”.
Hundreds of protesters with Israel flags as well as Union flags turned out to oppose the march.
A line of police Land Rovers blocked off the bridge which connects the towpath and the village.
As the march passed along the towpath, protesters on the other side of the canal watched on.
It came after a similar event last year which saw what police termed as “minor disorder” and four arrests, as well as number of people cautioned.
DUP representatives, including Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart and MLAs Jonathan Buckley and Diane Forsythe, were present in Scarva.
In a joint statement they raised “significant questions over the handling of today’s events in Scarva”, including the level of policing and the blocking of the bridge, which they said was the specified location for the counter-protest.
“We are thankful that today’s events passed off without any serious incidents,” they said.
“We will be seeking a meeting with the PSNI to seek answers from the PSNI about the operational decisions that were taken within the village. This not only served to increase disruption to residents but many of those on the ground felt did not help reduce anxiety and tensions.
“Residents and participants deserve clarity on this and other issues including whether evidence was gathered to identify any breaches of the determination issued in relation to the parade including the presence of a banner with the antisemitic ‘from the river to the sea’ slogan on it.
“The fact that the event passed without major incident is welcome, but it should not prevent a full examination of how matters were handled.
“We will continue to pursue answers and ensure the concerns of the local community are properly addressed.”
TUV councillor Keith Ratcliffe also criticised the PSNI and the Parades Commission.
“The Parades Commission determination about the protest was clear that it was to take place at Scarva Bridge. Yet from early in the morning it was clear that the PSNI were determined that no one associated with the protest would get on the bridge as it was sealed off by police Land Rovers,” he said.
“I also really do have to question the deployment of riot police and dogs when there was never any point during the day when it looked like there was any prospect of a riot.
“Today saw massive disruption to ordinary life in Scarva and huge expense to the taxpayer, with helicopters, drones, two water cannons, police dogs, hundreds of police officers and dozens of Land Rovers all deployed so that a parade of no cultural or historical importance and opposed by the entire community could be forced through Scarva.
“I will be contacting both the PSNI and the Parades Commission to express my outrage at today’s events and to demand that this is the last time that Scarva is subjected to the like.”
Meanwhile, UUP leader Jon Burrows has said he has written to both the Parades Commission and the PSNI requesting meetings to discuss the handling of the day’s events in Scarva, and to seek an update on the investigation into the alleged breaches of the Parades Commission determination.