First Minister backs stance to lodge complaint over Apprentice Boys parade incidents in Derry
Videos shared online showed bands playing anti-Catholic songs No Pope of Rome and the Billy Boys on Saturday afternoon
The First Minister has backed her party's stance on lodging a complaint with the Parades Commission over the behaviour of some bands during the recent Apprentice Boys parade in Derry.
Videos shared online showed bands playing anti-Catholic songs No Pope of Rome and the Billy Boys on Saturday afternoon.
The East Bank Protestant Boys also carried a banner with the image of UDA man Gary Lynch around the city.
Footage of the Sgt Lindsay Mooney Memorial Flute Band marching through the city also emerged. Mooney was a member of the UDA who died when a bomb he was transporting to Kirk’s Bar in Lifford, County Donegal exploded prematurely.
Bands also went off the designated route by walking under the Craigavon Bridge where motorists had been diverted to accommodate marchers on the top deck of the bridge.
A video shows one band playing No Pope of Rome on the bottom deck of the bridge.
Police said they are aware of the bannerette in honour of Mr Lynch being carried at the parade, but, “after consideration, it has been determined at this stage that no criminal offence has been committed”.
In relation to bands marching on the bottom deck of the bridge in an area that was not part of the parade route, the PSNI said: “For safety reasons, while the main parade was ongoing, the area around the Craigavon Bridge was used for a short time to facilitate egress and return to buses on Victoria Road.”
Waterside Sinn Féin councillor confirmed his party would engage with both the Parades Commission and the PSNI to outline formal complaints.
Speaking at an Féile Derry event on Wednesday afternoon, First Minister Michelle O'Neill backed her party's stance to lodge a complaint with the Parades Commission.“When you look at the Fleadh last week,” Ms O'Neill said. “Look at how successful and positive, and warm and welcoming and hoepful and the positivity that comes from that. That should how culture is done. That's how we should celebrate culture and I encourage that approach to everybody.
“But where bands and anybody else is involved in terms of breaching of these things, then you have make a complaint to the Parades Commission, they have a job to do, so the party will follow through on that.”