RUC/PSNI - What's changed? "Impartial" police force?

[bobbysands81]

Breaking news on the Irish Times website has a piece regarding Kevin McDaid's murder and the PSNI's failure to properly protect the family

“The family wish to make it clear that they are concerned that the PSNI were involved in negotiations with a number of persons perceived to be from the Loyalist community on Sunday the 24th of May 2009.

“They are concerned regarding the nature of these negotiations and the attendant claim that threats were made by individuals from this background to police that violence would ensue unless certain demands made by them were met.

“It is a fundamental tenet of a civilised society that individuals such as these should not dictate the terms of law and order.

“We are further concerned that given the prior knowledge of the threat, neither we and nor our neighbours were not properly protected by police.

“We want the community to support the police, but equally police must also support the community.”

McDaid family protection fears - The Irish Times - Fri, May 29, 2009

Now if this attack had been carried out by Nationalist thugs the papers down here would be screaming blue murder about how it was an IRA gang with official sanction blah blah blah... and there's not a hope in hell that the PSNI would have come out a few short hours later and proclaimed that "this attack was not carried out by the UDA", they would have done the opposite and acted, like they always do, in favour of one section of the community over the other.

A thesis could be written on the difference between the media reaction on Robert McCartney's death and Kevin McDaid's, one a family man, one known to associate with thundering scumbags, thiefs, drug pushers, bank robbers etc...

We have seen similar behaviour in the past in relation to the PSNI and Orange marches - the job of a police force is to uphold the law of that land. The PSNI regularly ignores the law of the land (determinations of Parades Commission to allow/disallow orange order march through contentious areas) in order to benefit "their" community to the detriment of the "other" community.

Different name, same thugs.

[st333ve]

The PSNI immediatly gave a statement saying the UDA wernt involved, this was before they arrested anyone.
Considering the men came from the UDA linked bar and claimed to be the UDA I found it very suspicious that the PSNI would say this.
Surely you cant rule anything out until youve arrested people?
I've had no problem with nationalists supporting the police until now , but I'm finding it harder to believe this 'police' force isnt still up to their neck with paramilitary terrorists.
They know where loyalists guns are yet dont act, they immediatly jump to their defence after a murder and my personal experience with them has been a great dissapointment.

I agree with Mr.McDaids family, the Police have to prove that they are infact a normal police force.
I think thats a very reasonable thing to ask for.
The sad thing is that they're failing the people theyre paid to protect.

When those loyalists threatened violence, the police should have arrested them and not simply passed the message on and ran away.

[bobbysands81]

The hypocrisy from the 26 county media and from all the eejits on here who only decry violence when it gives them a chance to slate Sinn Féin is sickening and deafening.

If this was violence perpetrated by Republicans you'd be falling over yourselves making as much political capital out of it as you could. There's no political capital to be made though so you're all silent.

Sickening.

[st333ve]

The media has managed to spin it around on SF, dont expect Brian Cowen to come up here offering condolences.

I dont think I've ever heard so many apologist remarks regarding a random innocent person being killed.

I've heard it all...
SF are to blame.
Whatabout what the IRA done.
They shouldnt have flags there.
Celtic and Rangers fans clashed and this man was caught up in the middle.
Protestants have been attacked.
The men came to remove flags..

Bla bla bla..

All this about a man who was attacked while trying to cross the street to protect his own children.

[pete2]

Far as I can work out from the reporting it was a heart attack resulting from a soccer inspired scuffle.

[bobbysands81]

Far as I can work out from the reporting it was a heart attack resulting from a soccer inspired scuffle.

Yeah - that's all it was...

I despair sometimes, have you read anything about what happened???

[mutley]

Yeah - that's all it was...

I despair sometimes, have you read anything about what happened???

never heard of sarcasm?

[pete2]

Yeah - that's all it was...

I despair sometimes, have you read anything about what happened???

Well I read in the newsletter that the Heights estate was being patrolled by masked men, they were brazenly displaying flags and the scuffle arose because Coleraine people decided to remove the flags. In the ensuing melee someone had a heart attack.

In the aftermath there was a vicious assault on an innocent Rangers supporter by residents of the Heights estate and this innocent man was violently & brutally assaulted requiring urgent medical attention at hospital.

One community source claimed to the News Letter that along with Irish tricolours and barricades, masked men were stopping cars going into the Heights area before Mr McDaid's death. He also claimed that phone calls were made from the estate taunting the loyalists in the bar who then came in to remove the flags. And he claimed that a Protestant was attacked in Pates Lane several hours after the attacks on Mr McDaid.
Loyalists 'came to remove flags' - Belfast Today

[st333ve]

So this is what happened...?



"Excuse me old chaps from the other side of the river, could you please remove those flags in the interest of health and safety?"

"Please dont attack me, oh no that chap had a heart attack!"