UVF lines up against unity bid

The PSNI effectively headed up a giant ‘show of strength’ by loyalist paramilitaries in an act of intimidation as a conference on a united Ireland was being held just a mile away.

Members of the PSNI led the march which involved up to 1,500 suspected paramilitaries dressed in white shirts and black ties lining an east Belfast street.

The display took place as Irish politicians and celebrities were taking part in an Ireland’s Future event which was discussing plans for Irish unification at the SSE Arena, in traditionally loyalist east Belfast.

The illegal show of strength coincided with a loyalist band parade on Saturday in memory of UVF paramilitary Robert ‘Squeak’ Seymour . Flags and banners in support of the UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force) and the related Red Hand Commando were carried at the parade.

Orange Order grand secretary Rev Mervyn Gibson, and Winston ‘Winkie’ Irvine, who is currently on bail facing weapons charges, were among those who attended.

The PSNI claimed their involvement was to gather evidence, but Saoradh said it showed the “two tier” policing system in place in the north.

They compared the PSNI’s apparent collaboration with the UVF with their aggressive responses to republican commemorations over the last number of years, many of which have ended in violent arrests and convictions.

“it is clear there are separate rules when it comes to dealing with Republicans and other communities,” they said. They also contrasted the weak bail conditions enjoyed by alleged UVF commander Irvine with the periods of internment and draconian and Orwellian restrictions currently being handed down to republicans charged with far less serious offences.

“Over the last year alone, bail conditions have seen Republicans unable to live in the same house as family members, unable to enter large areas of the country including in a number of cases parts of their own cities, bans on attending political gatherings or meetings and even a ban on contacting members of political parties,” they said.

“While Republicans have been highlighting this for a number of years, we now find those in the the legal profession and even journalists pointing out the hypocrisy. When the legal profession start to question the impartiality of the legal system then it’s safe to say that very system is not fit for purpose,” they said.

Justice Minister Naomi Long described the scenes as “incredibly disturbing” but declined to explain the PSNI’s kid-gloves handling of the parade.

Most of the attendees at the Irelands Future event were unaware of the large-scale act of intimidation taking place a short distance away.

Among them was former 26 County Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, a hate figure for loyalism and a recipient of death threats as a result of his stance on Brexit.

Interviewed as part of the event, Mr Varadkar called for a sovereign wealth fund to meet the costs of transitioning to a united Ireland.

He urged the Dublin government to “start setting aside some of the [budget] surplus to prepare for that transition period”.

He said when he was Taoiseach a number of funds had been set up to prepare for the future.

“We could set up a fund as well and start setting aside some of the surplus to prepare for that transition period.

“The basic principle, which is a prudent one, at a time when we have a surplus and we won’t have a surplus forever, we are setting aside money for costs that we know are going to rise like climate action, like infrastructure, like pensions.

“I think it is reasonable to apply that same logic to unification and to start to set aside money now to ease that transition and also to reassure people who might be worried there will be an economic cost to them.”

He also said “stronger, specific apologies” from the IRA and the 26 County state for its historical treatment of non-Catholics could help to “change hearts and minds” over unification.

Sinn Féin’s John Finucane described the former Taoiseach’s remarks as “significant”.

“We have been calling on the Irish government to lead the preparations for change by bringing forward a green paper setting out the constitutional, political, social, and economic vision,” he said.

“This is an exciting, engaging and positive discussion to be part of, and one which the Irish government must now lead and take action on.”

Urgent Appeal