This comes after recent disturbances resulting from the overturning of the Parades Commission by the PSNI to allow the 400 UDA/UFF coat-trailing bigots to return from their march via the Crumlin Road at Ardoyne shop fronts. This decision had sparked fury from residents and quickly turned to violence as we saw heavy-handed tactics being employed by the PSNI.

An IRSP spokesperson, Charlie Clarke who was at the scene stated, "Once again we have watched the district of Ardoyne become a prison, surrounded by a ring of steel and guarded vehemently by heavy-handed PSNI/British Army riot squads.

People of this community have been hemmed in from early morning and are denied the freedom to move freely and conduct their business with normality. This is because every year we face the backlash of sectarian marches walking through this working-class republican area. It is no longer acceptable and the people of this community have understandably resisted.

The PSNI overturned a decision laid down by the Parades Commission and allowed the supporters to return through this area. About 400 well known UDA/UFF volunteers representing 'K' Coy were flaunted under the noses of the residents of Ardoyne and were heavily guarded by the PSNI. Also with the crowd was a mob of drunken louts who began hurling bottles and various other missiles into the protestors on the other side of the barricade. It is only natural that with tensions running as high as they were, fuelled by the PSNI betrayal that the community responded in the way they did.

When people realised that this was happening, they were met with the cold truth of 'Policing', beaten down by police batons and manhandled to the point of GBH. This certainly brings into dispute the eligibility of the Parades Commission. The IRSP call for the immediate resignation of those within the PC and the disbandment of this ineffective organisation. Organisations who continuously make decisions only to be overturned by the PSNI are not needed. We also call for nationalist politicians to stand down from the Policing Board. Once again we see the cold reality that the PSNI are not acceptable in these communities and will continue to be so until the full implementation of the Patton report is in place."

The events that followed were described by Charlie Clarke to be " The worst street violence that this community has witnessed in the course of twenty years." He went on to add, " The fact that the Paratroopers were placed into position along Ardoyne Road at the top of Cranbrook Court shows quite clearly that the PSNI were intent on causing violence at this time. There was no need for the British Army to be situated here in the very heart of demonstrators, and their presence and the force that they adopted heightened tensions within the community.

I believe that this was a cleverly orchestrated tactic used by the PSNI to move the focus from the Orange parades and place it upon this community. I take this opportunity to commend the bravery and courage of all the men, women and youths of this area who valiantly resisted attacks from the PSNI/British Army. However, I remind those involved that there remained a very real threat to the safety of civilians from the retreating British Army, who undoubtedly would have reverted to their first instinct to implement the use of live ammunition."

The area has been reported quiet but tense over the last few days with a restrained calm being firmly in place. The spokesperson further added, "Two further parades are due to pass through the area within the next few weeks and the IRSP will be monitoring very closely developments within the area. The IRSP would also take this opportunity to refute any such allegations that were made by the gutter press journalism of the Sunday World that the INLA were responsible for orchestrating the violence that occurred as a result of the heavy-handedness of PSNI officers against this community whilst forcing loyalists through their area. No such allegations could be further from the truth."

Meetings with the community have been held and further meetings are being organised in order to avoid another occurrence of last week's violence.

STATEMENTS ENDS