{"id":192598,"date":"2025-06-17T20:39:13","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T20:39:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/192598\/"},"modified":"2025-06-17T20:39:13","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T20:39:13","slug":"loyalists-in-two-counties-say-psni-no-longer-welcome-in-their-districts-the-irish-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/192598\/","title":{"rendered":"Loyalists in two counties say PSNI \u2018no longer welcome\u2019 in their districts \u2013 The Irish News"},"content":{"rendered":"

Loyalists in Tyrone and and Armagh have said the PSNI is no longer welcome in their areas amid claims of \u201ctwo-tier\u201d policing.<\/p>\n

The fallout came in the same week as race-hate violence erupted in several unionist areas across the north resulting in the homes of several migrant workers being targeted. <\/a><\/p>\n

Dozens of PSNI officers were injured as the trouble spread from Ballymena in Co Antrim to several other towns including Coleraine in Co Derry and Portadown in Co Armagh.<\/p>\n

The police crackdown has included dozens of arrests. <\/p>\n

\"Migrant<\/a>\"Kneecap:<\/a>\"MarkethillMarkethill loyalists <\/p>\n

It has now emerged that loyalists in several areas have pulled support for the police.<\/p>\n

\u201cPSNI not welcome in loyalist areas\u201d images have been circulated on social media websites linked to loyalist groups.<\/p>\n

In a message posted on Facebook, Moygashel Bonfire Association, based in Co Tyrone, claimed it has \u201creceived reports of police harassing local loyalist youths\u201d in the area. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis has followed on from an intrusive and provocative police operation at a recent memorial parade in the village.\u201d <\/p>\n

This is believed to be a reference to memorial parade held in the village in memory of suspected UVF killer Wesley Somerville earlier this year.<\/p>\n

Somerville, who was also a member of the UDR, died when his own bomb exploded as he attempted to murder members of the Miami Showband in July 1975.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis two-tier approach to policing is unacceptable and therefore we feel we can no longer liaise with the PSNI over local upcoming cultural celebrations,\u201d the bonfire group said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis will remain the status quo until confidence in policing is restored. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe fear that if this form of policing continues it could raise tensions further until we find ourselves in an uncontrollable situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

A replica police car was placed on a loyalist \u2018Eleventh Night\u2019 bonfire in Moygashel last July.<\/p>\n

There was more controversy when it emerged police removed racist signage in the village but ignored nearby sectarian banners glorifying the UVF and Somerville.<\/p>\n

A spokesman for the PSNI said: \u201cPolice in Mid Ulster are happy to discuss any issues that local communities may have around policing and would seek to address those issues wherever possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another Facebook page, Loyalist Markethill, has also called on unionist parties and the PUL (Protestant Unionist Loyalist) \u201ccommunity groups etc to withdraw support for the PSNI ASAP\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"LoyalistLoyalist social media sites are circulating a race-linked poster <\/p>\n

Both pages also carry a message including a picture of a sign with the words \u201cit is not racist to protect your own community\u201d.<\/p>\n

The image was originally posted to the Loyalist East Armagh City Facebook page to promote an \u201canti-illegal immigration rally\u201d in the city Thursday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Loyalists in Tyrone and and Armagh have said the PSNI is no longer welcome in their areas amid…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":192599,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5011],"tags":[1144,1618,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-192598","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-northern-ireland","8":"tag-northern-ireland","9":"tag-psni","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114700639676148943","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192598","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=192598"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192598\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/192599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=192598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=192598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=192598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}