Northern Ireland-style policing of protests an alternative model, says Met Chief

By Luke O'Reilly, PA

Metropolitan Police chief Mark Rowley has highlighted Northern Ireland-style policing of protests as an alternative to how demonstrations are policed.

The force has come under fire in the past year over its policing of pro-Palestine protests, as well as accusations of two-tier policing from the left and the right.

Last April, Mr Rowley faced calls to resign over video footage of an interaction between a Jewish man and a police officer during a pro-Palestine protest.

In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, he discussed the laws around protest, saying Parliament has “generally taken quite a permissive approach to protest”, before highlighting the different approach in Northern Ireland.

He said: “The presumption is that protests will take place, other than in very specific circumstances where the risk of serious violence is beyond what the police can control.”

The Sunday Telegraph reported that he went on to suggest that there are “alternative models in operation in other jurisdictions” including within the UK.

“In Northern Ireland, for example, because of the specific history of parades and marches taking place in divided communities, there is a whole separate legal framework with a Parades Commission that takes account of the effect of those events on communities and tries to strike a different balance,” he said.

However, he said the different ways to approach protest laws “are a matter for Parliament to consider, not the police”.