PROMINENT loyalist Jamie Bryson has claimed that there will be “significant impact” in relation to the future of the Northern Ireland Protocol in the coming weeks - which will lead to its ultimate "dismembering".
The north Down activist was speaking ahead of a series of anti-protocol protest parades and a rally in Newtownards tonight.
Unionists and loyalists are angry over the protocol, which created a border down the Irish sea, and want it scrapped.
The British government and EU have been involved in talks in a bid to resolve problems linked to the protocol.
However, speaking to The Irish News last night Mr Bryson suggested there could soon be a breakthrough on the future of the protocol, according to his sources.
“I am confident in the information I have been provided with - that there will be a significant impact in relation to the protocol in the coming weeks,” he said.
“And that will be an important first step in the ultimate dismembering of the protocol.
“I’m confident of that.”
Mr Bryson said anti-protocol protests will continue in the meantime.
“None of this ultimately resolves it and the protests and the campaign by unionists and loyalists will inevitably continue until such times as the constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom is restored in its entirety,” he said.
“Protests, I would imagine will continue, and I think Dublin keeps...fuelling the fire.”
Earlier this week The Irish News revealed that loyalists may stage a mass protest in Dublin next month.
Last night he revealed that the possibility of a similar protest being held in London also cannot be ruled out.
“It may well come to that,” he said.
“Obviously it’s a lot more difficult to bring mass numbers of people to London than it is to travel down the M1 to Dublin.”
He added that the situation was currently “very fluid”.
“Where the people decide to take it is where the protests will go and I would not purport to speak on behalf of the people,” he said.
“It’s wherever that momentum and that dynamic takes it.”
Mr Bryson said unionists remain angry with the British government over its protocol deal.
“It’s not called the betrayal act for no reason,” he said.
“But they have a small window of opportunity to remedy their error so we wait with bated breath to see if they do.”
His comments come ahead of tonight’s protest parades and rally in Newtownards.
Among those addressing the rally will be former British government minister Kate Hoey, who now sits in the House of Lords, TUV leader Jim Allister, former Brexit Party MEP Ben Habib and Mr Bryson.
None of the planned marches had been notified to the Parades Commission last night.
A spokesman for the PSNI said: "Police are aware of planned events due to take place....in Newtownards, and are monitoring the situation.
