Protest Chaos At Derry DPP Meeting

A group of protestors have disrupted a meeting of the District Policing Partnership (DPP) in Londonderry.

The meeting was taking place yesterday at Da Vinci's Hotel in the city when up to 50 members of Irish Republican Forum for Unity (IRFU) began a noisy protest and also manhandled hotel staff who tried to stop them.

The protestors said that the meeting "a political charade" and chanted anti-police slogans, threw stink bombs and also blew horns.

Brian McFadden, from the IRFU, said: "We're sitting here defending our rights to a British Policy Board."

He claimed they had been denied the right to put their case at the public meeting and argued: "If it's a public meeting the public are entitled to be here."

However, one independent DPP member Linda Watson referred to the incident as an "absolute disgrace".

Despite the chaotic protest, the meeting continued its business and Jon Burrows, the acting PSNI Chief Inspector, said the DPP would meet again.

"People want police officers visible in their neighbourhoods, delivering first class policing, making the roads safe, putting drug dealers behind bars and catching criminals," said Jon.

"We won't be deflected by a few idiots," he added.

Mark Durkan, the SDLP Leader and Foyle MP, condemned the events and emphasized the democratic mandate of DPP.

"Its work must and shall continue in order for the people of this city and district to have the proper policing service which they have voted and deserve," he said.

Mr Durkan also pointed that the meeting started earlier than the notified time and that SDLP, independent and other members of the DPP were "not only excluded by the protestors but by the conduct of the DPP itself".

Party colleague, Brenda Stevenson said that questions must be asked about the conduct of proceedings and the way it was carried out by the chairperson of the committee, Alisha McLaughlin, from Sinn Féin.

However, Sinn Féin said that it was the DDP manager who took the decision to start the meeting an hour earlier.

This is the latest such disruption of a DPP meeting in Co Londonderry.

In July, another meeting was called off after a similar protest and, last month, Limavaday DPP's meeting in Dungiven had to be delayed by the same reason.

(CL/BMcC)