Republicans are a protected species who do what they want to do

Yet again, republicans ignore the rule of law and the guidelines followed by the rest of society when attending funerals, this time in Londonderry.

The absence of any prosecutions from the IRA funeral of Bobby Storey last summer proved that there is no deterrent for republicans for such large and illegal gatherings, and further exemplifies the increasingly held belief that the PSNI is either unwilling or unable to police these incidents adequately, due to the political appeasement of those still wedded to violence and the threat of same.

How many more times are the law-abiding citizens of Northern Ireland going to have to stomach the police service negotiating with terrorists or permitting these processions to take place despite the stringent restrictions everyone else outside the republican movement adheres to?

As usual, the protected species do what they want.

Stephen Cooper, TUV councillor, Comber

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