While the traditional Apprentice Boys’ parades were largely peaceful last weekend, police have urged community leaders to play their part in helping to calm tensions.
During last year’s event in Rasharkin, marchers came in for abuse from protestors. As a result, the Parades Commission has ruled they will not be able to make their tradition return journey through the village on Friday evening.
A spokesman for the PSNI confirmed that the police had called on community representatives to assist them in making sure the event passed off peacefully.
The spokesman added: “It is the Parades Commission’s responsibility to make a determination on all notified parades and protests. The police have a responsibility to police a Parades’ Commission determination and any such parade or protest will be policed appropriately and proportionately.
“We will facilitate the right of people to parade, lawfully and peacefully and we will also facilitate the right of people to protest, lawfully and peacefully.”
“And we will facilitate the right of those who want neither to parade or protest, but go about their daily business with the minimum of disruption.”
However, the spokesman also stressed that those taking part in parades needed to respect others and had an obligation to do all in their power to ensure the events passed peacefully.
He added: “Police work tirelessly with protest and parade organisers to reduce the likelihood of any tensions and disorder and we will continue to do this.”
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