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| Northern Ireland police warn of potential dissident attacks on Easter Monday | Northern Ireland police warn of potential dissident attacks on Easter Monday |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Warning comes ahead of US president Joe Biden’s much-anticipated visit to Belfast on Tuesday | Warning comes ahead of US president Joe Biden’s much-anticipated visit to Belfast on Tuesday |
| Police in Northern Ireland are warning of potential dissident republican attacks over the Easter weekend, as the Democratic Unionist party leader, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, said the lack of a government in Stormont was not to blame for the increasing threat of violence. | Police in Northern Ireland are warning of potential dissident republican attacks over the Easter weekend, as the Democratic Unionist party leader, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, said the lack of a government in Stormont was not to blame for the increasing threat of violence. |
| Tensions have increased as the bank holiday weekend marks the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday agreement. The date falls on Easter Monday though many will mark it on Friday, given its association with the day. | Tensions have increased as the bank holiday weekend marks the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday agreement. The date falls on Easter Monday though many will mark it on Friday, given its association with the day. |
| Police said they had received “strong” intelligence that dissidents planned to launch terror attacks against officers on the bank holiday. They also warned there could be street violence in Derry. | Police said they had received “strong” intelligence that dissidents planned to launch terror attacks against officers on the bank holiday. They also warned there could be street violence in Derry. |
| PSNI chief constable, Simon Byrne, said the “exceptional circumstances” of the Easter weekend meant officers would be moved to frontline duties to counter any potential threats, a policing strategy he said that had not been used in years. | PSNI chief constable, Simon Byrne, said the “exceptional circumstances” of the Easter weekend meant officers would be moved to frontline duties to counter any potential threats, a policing strategy he said that had not been used in years. |
| Politics is in stalemate in Stormont, where there has been no functioning government for more than a year. The DUP withdrew support for power sharing as part of its protest against post-Brexit trading agreements. | Politics is in stalemate in Stormont, where there has been no functioning government for more than a year. The DUP withdrew support for power sharing as part of its protest against post-Brexit trading agreements. |
| MI5 recently upgraded the terror threat in Northern Ireland to severe, meaning an attack is “highly likely”. But Donaldson said the idea that a lack of government at Stormont had fuelled violence “doesn’t stack up”. | MI5 recently upgraded the terror threat in Northern Ireland to severe, meaning an attack is “highly likely”. But Donaldson said the idea that a lack of government at Stormont had fuelled violence “doesn’t stack up”. |
| “While Stormont was sitting for many years these dissident republicans engaged in violence, they murdered police officers,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Friday. | “While Stormont was sitting for many years these dissident republicans engaged in violence, they murdered police officers,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Friday. |
| Donaldson said the situation could not be blamed on Stormont. “Of course we want to see Stormont fully functioning, but the idea that when we get Stormont back up and running, that dissident republicans will put their guns away, I didn’t hear the chief constable suggest that,” he said. | Donaldson said the situation could not be blamed on Stormont. “Of course we want to see Stormont fully functioning, but the idea that when we get Stormont back up and running, that dissident republicans will put their guns away, I didn’t hear the chief constable suggest that,” he said. |
| “The idea that evil men and women who go out to commit murder react to political circumstances simply doesn’t stack up.” | “The idea that evil men and women who go out to commit murder react to political circumstances simply doesn’t stack up.” |
| He added: “Some of the chief constable’s police officers have been murdered by these dissident republicans while Stormont has been sitting and indeed they have murdered other people and they have continued with their terrorist activity during all of the period that Stormont was sitting. | He added: “Some of the chief constable’s police officers have been murdered by these dissident republicans while Stormont has been sitting and indeed they have murdered other people and they have continued with their terrorist activity during all of the period that Stormont was sitting. |
| “All of the party leaders have stood together in solidarity with the chief constable when these attacks have taken place.” | “All of the party leaders have stood together in solidarity with the chief constable when these attacks have taken place.” |
| The recent change in terror threat followed a gun attack in County Tyrone on senior detective John Caldwell, who was left with life-changing injuries. Police blamed the New IRA for the attack. | |
| The assistant chief constable Bobby Singleton told a press conference in Belfast it was going to be “a really significant weekend for the PSNI”. | |
| He added: “There is also very strong community intelligence specifically coming forward in respect of Monday’s events in Derry/Londonderry and a real concern that there may be attempts to draw police in to serious public disorder and to use that then as a platform to launch terrorist attacks on police as well. | He added: “There is also very strong community intelligence specifically coming forward in respect of Monday’s events in Derry/Londonderry and a real concern that there may be attempts to draw police in to serious public disorder and to use that then as a platform to launch terrorist attacks on police as well. |
| “So going into our operation that’s something that is very clearly right at the forefront of my mind, the minds of the commanders that will be delivering that and of course our officers as well.” | “So going into our operation that’s something that is very clearly right at the forefront of my mind, the minds of the commanders that will be delivering that and of course our officers as well.” |
| Easter Monday is when dissident republicans traditionally mark the anniversary of the Easter Rising rebellion against British rule in 1916, with a parade planned in Derry. | Easter Monday is when dissident republicans traditionally mark the anniversary of the Easter Rising rebellion against British rule in 1916, with a parade planned in Derry. |