Police warn of potential for traffic congestion in Portrush due to anti-immigration rally and counter protest
The PSNI have issued a warning to drivers ahead of two planned events in Portrush this Saturday.
One is an anti-immigration demonstration, the other is a protest against it.
The PSNI said that the former has been organised under the banner of Causeway Coast & Glens Concerned Parents Group, and the latter under the aegis of Solidarity Skate.
The police said tonight: “A rally organised by Causeway Coast & Glens Concerned Parents Group will take place in the carpark on Sandhill Drive commencing at 2pm.
"At 3.15pm a parade organised by the same group will assemble in the carpark and move off at 3.30pm.
"It will proceed via Sandhill Drive carpark, Eglinton Street, Kerr Street, Harbour Hill. Upper Main Street, Lower Main Street to Dunluce Avenue and Dunluce Carpark.
"It is expected to disperse at 4.45pm.”
It went on to add: "Also at 2pm, Solidarity Skate will be assembling at Station Square where they will remain until 4pm.
"At 4pm, Solidarity Skate will then commence a parade consisting of two laps of a route via Station Square, Kerr Street, Main Street, Eglinton Street and back to Kerr Street.
"It is due to finish at 6pm.”
The PSNI added: “Road users may experience some delays due to the parading elements of these two events between 3.30pm and 6pm.
"Police officers will be in attendance and facilitate both parades with short temporary road closures.”
The Causeway Coast & Glens Concerned Parents Group is being promoted by the anti-immigration group Our Northern Ireland Voice, which says it is “proud to be working alongside the newly formed Causeway Coast Parents & Residents Group to bring you what promises to be one of the biggest family events of the summer right in the heart of beautiful Portrush”.
There is little information online as to what “Solidarity Skate” is.
However the Facebook page Militant Left is promoting the event, inviting people to “join our local skate community as they continue their decades-long campaign for a permanent, purpose-built skate park in Portrush and reject racism occurring across the north coast and beyond”.
Arcadia Skateshop of Portrush has also promoted the event, saying: “Skateboarding has always attracted those on the fringes of society that are a bit different and didn’t want to join the sports team or whatever boring pigeon-hole society said we should be in.
"Skateboarding is an international culture, we travel and have friends from all corners of this tiny world we’re supposed to share...
“Dogs welcome, racist feck off.”
NIPSA the union is also involved too, saying there will be a rally at Station Square in Portrush with skating from 11am followed by a parade through town at 4pm.