THE Scottish Government has been urged to review a policing agreement that reportedly saw 200 Police Scotland officers deployed to Northern Ireland to support policing around a sectarian march.
Following a weekend of chaos and heightened tensions around an Orange Order parade on Garvaghy Road in Portadown, the Scottish Greens are seeking clarity over the role of Police Scotland officers and demanding a review of the agreement that enabled their deployment.
Police Scotland officers can be deployed to Northern Ireland under UK mutual aid arrangements when the PSNI requests assistance during exceptional operational pressures, with deployments agreed on a case-by-case basis rather than through a permanent policing pact.
Scottish Greens justice spokesperson Maggie Chapman wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Neil Gray, last Friday to raise her concerns, but at the time of writing has not received a response.
Chapman said: “This march was designed to spread tensions and hatred and to intimidate the community and families who are trying to get on with their lives.
“The organisers knew exactly what they were doing, and the Parades Commission was utterly wrong to allow it.
“It is deeply concerning that Police Scotland officers were deployed to support policing around a march that caused such fear and division.
“The Scottish Government must be transparent about what role Scottish officers played, what resources were committed, and whether they think this agreement is appropriate."
She added: “Scotland should not be providing policing resources for sectarian events like this that are called to inflame tensions. The Scottish Government must review this agreement and ensure that Police Scotland officers are not deployed for events like this again.”
A spokesperson for the force said: "Any mutual aid request is balanced against the needs of policing in Scotland. As a national service, Police Scotland has the ability to flex resources where the need is greatest and in order to keep people safe.
"Scotland has benefited from mutual aid in the past and will do so again in future, therefore it is entirely appropriate that we support other forces if asked to do so."
Thousands of protesters have blocked the predominately nationalist route in Portadown in a bid to prevent the Orange Order parade passing.
A ruling by the Parades Commission adjudication body permitting the march from Drumcree Church was upheld in an “unprecedented” late night sitting of the High Court in Belfast just a few hours earlier.
The Drumcree parade, which was associated with violent clashes during the Troubles, has been banned since 1998.
