Davy Beck Says PSNI Files Complete for 60 Drumcree Protest Suspects

Police in Northern Ireland have identified 60 suspects in their investigation into the protests that blocked the Orange Order parade at Drumcree.

Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck announced the update on Friday afternoon. He stated that 30 officers are currently reviewing more than 70 hours of recorded footage. The team has completed evidential packages for all 60 identified individuals.

Beck confirmed that 18 of the suspects have already been interviewed. Case files for those individuals are being prepared for submission to the Public Prosecution Service. This step will allow prosecutors to make final decisions on charges. Beck described the investigation as likely to be long-running and noted it would continue over the coming weeks.

The investigation covers a dispute that began after the Parades Commission approved the Drumcree parade for September 27. This marked the first time the march was permitted in 28 years. The decision triggered a standoff between the Orange Order and residents of the Garvaghy Road. The protests were not notified to the Parades Commission, leading police to deem them illegal.

The stalemate ended on October 9 when Northern Secretary Chris Bryant intervened. He banned the march after a request from PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher. Boutcher asked the Secretary to review the permission for the parade to proceed.

Senior political figures have been interviewed as part of the process. Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald and Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill have both spoken to police. On Friday, Sinn Féin councillors Catherine Nelson and Conor McKay attended a Belfast police station for their interviews. Nelson told reporters upon arrival that she was very proud to have stood with the Garvaghy Road residents.

The political fallout from the protests has disrupted operations at the Stormont institutions. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) announced that Emma Little-Pengelly will no longer participate in joint engagements with O’Neill. This decision stems from unionist anger over O’Neill’s involvement in the protests. Under powersharing rules, the posts of First and Deputy First Minister are a joint office. One cannot hold the position without the other.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson spoke to the BBC on Friday regarding the situation. He expressed an understanding of the position held by DUP MP Carla Lockhart. Robinson stated that he did not want to see Lockhart leave but noted that the fundamental position of the DUP had already been decided. Lockhart resigned as a party officer last week after calling for the withdrawal of Little-Pengelly. She is preparing to quit the party amid mounting speculation.

The DUP has outlined a range of sanctions against Sinn Féin. The party has refused to remove Little-Pengelly as Deputy First Minister or trigger the collapse of the institutions. However, they will refuse permission for O’Neill to fulfill engagements on her own as First Minister. These sanctions mean O’Neill will not attend Remembrance Sunday commemorations at the Cenotaph in Belfast this weekend.

The DUP boycott also prevented a separate meeting between O’Neill, Little-Pengelly, and UK prime minister Andy Burnham. The trio was scheduled to discuss the continued failure to agree a budget at Stormont. Burnham spoke in Glasgow on Friday and called it a shame that they did not have colleagues from Northern Ireland present. He added that they are working on the same agenda of growth. A meeting between O’Neill, Little-Pengelly, and President Catherine Connolly at Áras an Uachtaráin has also been cancelled.