Suella Braverman slammed the Metropolitan Police’s dealing with of the deliberate protest, accusing the drive of bias, and claimed “hate marches” are “disturbingly paying homage to Ulster”.
She defied Prime Minister Rishi Sunak by publishing an explosive article in The Occasions – with out getting sign-off from Downing Avenue upfront.
Nonetheless, a spokesperson for Downing Avenue mentioned on Friday that Mr Sunak nonetheless had “full confidence” in her.
SDLP chief Colum Eastwood branded Ms Braverman as a “pound store Enoch Powell”, whereas Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald mentioned her feedback have been “extraordinary” and “unhelpful”, accusing the Residence Secretary of being ignorant on Irish affairs.
However East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell accused the Sinn Fein and the SDLP of double requirements.
“Sinn Fein and the SDLP have described Suella Braverman’s article as ‘extraordinary’ and ‘ignorant’ however in reality allegations of two-tier policing ought to come as no shock to republicans or nationalists,” he mentioned.
Mr Campbell criticised each events’ actions surrounding protests and Bobby Storey’s funeral.
“Throughout the pandemic, the Police Ombudsman discovered that the police had handled sure protests in another way and that it was not solely unfair however discriminatory,” he mentioned.
“Certainly as a celebration, we made the then chief constable conscious of at the least 10 incidents, together with funeral processions and exhibits of power, the place republicans benefited from a comfortable contact method by police.
“That listing included the funeral of Bobby Storey, which introduced 1000’s of individuals onto the streets regardless of Covid pointers being in place.
“The Public Prosecution Service concluded that engagement between police and organisers of that political occasion gave senior members of Sinn Fein safety in opposition to prosecution.”
He additionally criticised Sinn Fein, pointing to claims made in a Excessive Court docket ruling that the occasion threatened to withdraw its assist for policing after an arrest at a Troubles commemoration. Sinn Fein have denied this.
The Excessive Court docket judgment, which acknowledged that two junior officers have been unlawfully disciplined, got here after the then PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne punished two officers for making an arrest at an occasion in 2021 marking the anniversary of the February 1992 Sean Graham bookmakers assault.
“Solely weeks in the past, the Excessive Court docket discovered that selections by the police to droop and reposition two of its junior officers have been ‘materially influenced by the risk (actual or perceived)’ that Sinn Fein would go away the Policing Board,” mentioned Mr Campbell.
“This demonstrates the rank hypocrisy of Sinn Fein. Their howls in opposition to Braverman ring hole.
“There isn’t a room for political interference. The issues of each custom and neighborhood should carry equal weight and the rule of legislation should finally be utilized with out concern or favour.”