Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly has welcomed an apology from the Chief Constable over its handling of Black Lives Matter protests and questions what will be done to address it.
The party’s policing spokesperson said:
“The Police Ombudsman’s report and the PSNI Chief Constable’s apology for police mishandling of the Black Lives Matter protests is welcome.
“The police should always be proportionate and accountable and should treat everyone in society equally.
“Where that does not happen the PSNI should apologise, as they have in this case.
“The question now is what should be done.
“The PSNI must realise that our society has changed and must make moves to ensure there is meaningful change on how the organisation deals with ethnic minority communities.
“Key to this is the roll out of proper human rights training for PSNI officers alongside meaningful engagement with affected communities.”
