DUP asks Stormont speaker if the Black Lives Matter protests can be debated in assembly

Mervyn Storey MLA said: “This is directly linked to the preservation of life in Northern Ireland in the context of Covid-19.”

Mr Storey added: “The pandemic does not respect persons or position and it does not respect public assembly regardless how laudable the cause is.

“Given Northern Ireland’s troubled past, confidence in local policing and the need for a clear, consistent and proportionate approach to upholding the rule of law during Covid-19 is even more imperative.

“The justice minister should address the matter directly with MLAs in the Assembly chamber. There cannot be any semblance of two-tier policing.”

Stormont’s Justice minister, Naomi Long, has described the response by police to anti-racism rallies in Northern Ireland as “proportionate”.

Some cases will be reported to the Public Prosecution Service, while a “significant number” of community resolution notices (CRNS) and fines were issued to people attending rallies, police said.

The PSNI and senior politicians had urged people not to take part in public protests in Belfast and Londonderry, citing the coronavirus regulations in Northern Ireland which currently ban the gathering of more than six people.

Officers conducted checks on roads and at transport hubs ahead of the protests to remind those taking part of the social distancing rules.

Amnesty International expressed concern at the police response.

Patrick Corrigan, Northern Ireland programme director, said the rally organisers went to “great lengths” to ensure social distancing in light of the current public health crisis.

“The PSNI must respect the rights of those peacefully protesting and ensure that the voices of those demanding action on tackling racial injustice are allowed to be heard,” he said.

However, Ms Long described the actions of police as “proportionate” adding they had found themselves in an “awkward situation”.

“I would have hoped that the organisers would have found other ways, whether digital or virtual ways, of marking that protest because I think many of us are in solidarity with the cause but could not be in solidarity with breaching the coronavirus regulations and placing other lives at risk,” she told the BBC.

“At the end of the day, the guidance and the regulations are there to protect life and we are all required to respect that.”

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