A Christian march expected to include thousands of people in Belfast city centre this weekend has been cancelled over “health and safety concerns.”
The ‘March for Jesus’ event had been billed as “a non-political, family friendly celebration of the Christian faith,” to make “the name of Jesus Christ known in Belfast and throughout Northern Ireland.”
Open to multiple church denominations, it had been due to start at 2pm in Custom House Square and end in front of Belfast City Hall for “worship, prayer and testimonies.”
A similar event was attended by thousands in Dublin last year, with another event planned for this September.
The Belfast march was organised by All Nations Church in Dublin, with the event listed on the Parades Commission website.
Posting on the event’s Facebook page on Wednesday, organiser Pastor John Ahern from All Nations said: “After much prayer, discussion, and consultation with Belfast City authorities, we have made the painful decision to cancel this Saturday’s March for Jesus Belfast.
“This decision certainly wasn’t taken lightly. However, due to significant logistical challenges and health and safety concerns with the large crowds that were expected, we could not go forward as planned.”
The March for Jesus event had been due to take place in Belfast this Saturday.
Speaking to the Irish News, Pastor Paul Burns from the King’s Christian Fellowship Church in Sandy Row claimed that the PSNI had made the decision to pull the event at short notice, despite having permission from the Parades Commission.
He questioned how this could happen when other parades regularly take place.
“This means Northern Ireland is no longer a safe place for the Christian church,” he said.
The PSNI has been contacted for a response.
A Belfast City Council spokesperson said: “The cobbled area outside the gates of City Hall is managed by the council on behalf of the Department of Infrastructure.
“As with all requests to use this space, we will engage with the event organisers to ensure that the appropriate event management plans are in place to deliver the proposed activities safely.
“This process also includes engagement with PSNI and any other relevant statutory authorities.”