Northern Ireland

Jim Allister calls for PSNI to cancel official PSNI involvement in 'political' gay pride parade

The annual Belfast gay pride parade takes place on Saturday
The annual Belfast gay pride parade takes place on Saturday The annual Belfast gay pride parade takes place on Saturday

TUV leader Jim Allister has written to the Chief Constable to express his "dismay" that uniformed officers will be allowed to officially participate in this year's "Gay Pride" parade in Belfast. 

While many have welcomed the PSNI move, others have questioned whether it will undermine its stated neutrality in the region.

Belfast Pride actively promotes the campaign to introduce same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland – the only part of the UK and Ireland where it remains outlawed.

In his open letter Mr Allister said: "This is a highly politicised event with the demand for a change in the law to permit same sex marriage at its heart. Why is the PSNI joining in this political campaign?

"...Just as I wouldn’t expect the police to involve itself in demands to change the law on abortion, so, lending support to the demand to change the law on marriage is wholly inappropriate."

Mr Allister also said that there are legitimate questions about how the event can be impartially policed when officers are marching in the parade?

A police commander yesterday defended the decision to allow uniformed officers to march but conceded the event has a political dimension.

Deputy Chief Constable Drew Harris insisted the organisation's neutrality would not be compromised by allowing officers to take part in an event where other participants were demanding "societal change".

However, he said the PSNI was "unlikely" to allow uniformed officers to take part in a Christian march that expressed a view that homosexuality was a sin.

Mr Harris said the PSNI's objective in participating in Saturday's parade was to show support for a community that suffers a "disproportionate" number of hate crime attacks and to reflect the diversity of the police's workforce.

Deputy Chief Constable Drew Harris insisted police neutrality would not be compromised by allowing uniformed PSNI officers to take part in Pride
Deputy Chief Constable Drew Harris insisted police neutrality would not be compromised by allowing uniformed PSNI officers to take part in Pride Deputy Chief Constable Drew Harris insisted police neutrality would not be compromised by allowing uniformed PSNI officers to take part in Pride

"We are a politically neutral organisation," he said.

"Just step back from the narrow point about the societal change that some element of the gay pride event wishes to promote.

"We are there, one, to assure that community of our protection in terms of hate crime and also to be a representative workplace."

In an interview with BBC Radio Ulster's Nolan Show, Mr Harris was asked whether hypothetically he would allow uniformed officers to participate in a Christian parade that promoted the message that homosexuality was sinful.

"I think that would be unlikely," he replied.

"I don't think you can conclude from that that we are not neutral."

He insisted the PSNI was not undermining anyone's belief system.

"By doing this we in no means seek to undermine anybody's belief and I completely refute that," he said.