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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Man arrested at far-right rally in Belfast in day of demonstrations | Man arrested at far-right rally in Belfast in day of demonstrations |
| (6 months later) | |
| Arrest followed attack on Britain First group, with riot police deployed to keep protesters of different factions apart | |
| Henry McDonald | |
| Sun 6 Aug 2017 17.35 BST | |
| Last modified on Mon 27 Nov 2017 18.54 GMT | |
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| One man was arrested after a missile was hurled at a gathering of the far-right group Britain First during a rally at Belfast City Hall on Sunday. Riot police officers acted after the object was thrown as Britain First’s Jayda Fransen vowed to organise protests against new mosques being built in Northern Ireland. | One man was arrested after a missile was hurled at a gathering of the far-right group Britain First during a rally at Belfast City Hall on Sunday. Riot police officers acted after the object was thrown as Britain First’s Jayda Fransen vowed to organise protests against new mosques being built in Northern Ireland. |
| The Britain First rally, which took place around lunchtime, was timed to coincide with a republican parade marking the anniversary of British internment without trial in Belfast, but those demonstrators were barred from the city centre. Organiser Dee Fennell said: “The only people that are denied entrance to Belfast city centre are the republican people of Belfast, of Derry, of right across this country and beyond.” | The Britain First rally, which took place around lunchtime, was timed to coincide with a republican parade marking the anniversary of British internment without trial in Belfast, but those demonstrators were barred from the city centre. Organiser Dee Fennell said: “The only people that are denied entrance to Belfast city centre are the republican people of Belfast, of Derry, of right across this country and beyond.” |
| Riot squad officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland separated around 50 Britain First supporters from a smaller band of left-wing anti-Nazi demonstrators in the street from the Belfast Says No to Fascism group. | Riot squad officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland separated around 50 Britain First supporters from a smaller band of left-wing anti-Nazi demonstrators in the street from the Belfast Says No to Fascism group. |
| Gerry Carroll of the left-wing People Before Profit party said they had come to protest against the “poisonous” politics of Britain First. “We have enough divisions in Northern Ireland without these fascists getting a foothold here in this society. They are only here to ramp up these divisions even further,” Carroll said. | Gerry Carroll of the left-wing People Before Profit party said they had come to protest against the “poisonous” politics of Britain First. “We have enough divisions in Northern Ireland without these fascists getting a foothold here in this society. They are only here to ramp up these divisions even further,” Carroll said. |
| Independent Unionist Jolene Bunting, who shared a platform with Britain First speakers at Belfast City Hall, was asked if she believed the far-right group was racist. She replied: “No!” | Independent Unionist Jolene Bunting, who shared a platform with Britain First speakers at Belfast City Hall, was asked if she believed the far-right group was racist. She replied: “No!” |
| Among those to speak was Britain First’s leader, Paul Golding, who described the empty flagpole where the union flag used to fly over Belfast City Hall as a “symbol of oppression” and claimed that there is “worse to come” for British unionists and loyalists. Golding predicted “civil war on British streets” over immigration and Islam. His supporters heckled a correspondent from the Irish Times, and Golding himself taunted her by shouting “fake news” at the journalist. | Among those to speak was Britain First’s leader, Paul Golding, who described the empty flagpole where the union flag used to fly over Belfast City Hall as a “symbol of oppression” and claimed that there is “worse to come” for British unionists and loyalists. Golding predicted “civil war on British streets” over immigration and Islam. His supporters heckled a correspondent from the Irish Times, and Golding himself taunted her by shouting “fake news” at the journalist. |
| A separate Ulster loyalist protest around the corner at the front of City Hall was held to demonstrate against dissident Irish republicans marching into the city centre to commemorate those who were interned without trial in Northern Ireland 46 years ago. | A separate Ulster loyalist protest around the corner at the front of City Hall was held to demonstrate against dissident Irish republicans marching into the city centre to commemorate those who were interned without trial in Northern Ireland 46 years ago. |
| Northern Ireland’s Parades Commission banned the dissident republican Anti-Internment League from entering central Belfast. Twelve PSNI Land Rovers were parked across North Queen Street in the northern edge of the city centre to prevent about 400 republicans including two flute bands from filing into the heart of Belfast. Several heavily armoured riot squad officers stood behind the Land Rovers. | Northern Ireland’s Parades Commission banned the dissident republican Anti-Internment League from entering central Belfast. Twelve PSNI Land Rovers were parked across North Queen Street in the northern edge of the city centre to prevent about 400 republicans including two flute bands from filing into the heart of Belfast. Several heavily armoured riot squad officers stood behind the Land Rovers. |
| Some of the banners carried by marchers were in support of dissident republican prisoners held at the top-security Maghaberry prison outside Belfast. Others denounced “British internment”. | Some of the banners carried by marchers were in support of dissident republican prisoners held at the top-security Maghaberry prison outside Belfast. Others denounced “British internment”. |
| In previous years the anti-internment parade has proceeded through the city and ended in violence. At the same event in 2013, 56 officers were injured when loyalist protesters attacked the police. | In previous years the anti-internment parade has proceeded through the city and ended in violence. At the same event in 2013, 56 officers were injured when loyalist protesters attacked the police. |
| Northern Ireland | |
| The far right | |
| Protest | |
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