Sinn Fein protests against 'biased' RUC arrests

Sinn Féin has described as biased and unjust the arrest of a number of people from the nationalist Ardoyne area of north Belfast.

The arrests come as part of an RUC investigation into rioting in the area on the nights of July 12th and 13th last.

A total of 55 RUC officers and a number of civilians were injured in the rioting. At least 15 cars and other vehicles were hijacked and set on fire during the unrest - the worst seen in the area for many years.

Yesterday seven men and a woman from north Belfast were arrested and charged with public order offences in connection with the disturbances.

Four more men were arrested today. They have also been charged with public order offences.

Will they [the ombudsman's offices] be investigating why the RUC choose to attack an entire community while turning a blind eye to the violent activities of the loyalist groupings? Mr Gerry Kelly

Sinn Féin's Mr Gerry Kelly claims the RUC provoked the confrontation by randomly attacking stewards and elected representatives.

Mr Kelly said: "The RUC fired over 40 plastic bullets indiscriminately. And now the RUC had the audacity to arrest a number of people."

He challenged Northern Ireland's police ombudsman to investigate the arrests which he described as biased and discriminatory.

A spokeswoman from the police ombudsman's office told ireland.comthat a number of investigations into matters alleged to have occurred on the nights in question were in progress.

She said the office had received six complaints from residents in the Ardoyne in connection with the riots.

"Two of these relate to alleged baton round injuries and four to allegations that the individuals were struck by batons or shields. As far as we are able to establish none of our complaints are among those people who have arrested," she added.

She said: "The police ombudsman is also investigating an incident in Ardoyne where it appeared that a police vehicle mounted a pavement and was driven at a group of children."

As far as we are able to establish none of our complaints are among those people who have arrested Spokeswoman for the ombudsman's office

"The discharge of 48 plastic baton rounds in Ardoyne is also being investigated by the office, under normal arrangements for the investigation of the use of baton guns."

However Mr Kelly said the RUC's actions raised many questions. He said "For the last three months nationalist communities in North Belfast have faced a loyalist onslaught."

"How many loyalists have been arrested following almost 200 pipe bomb attacks against nationalists?" he asked. "How many loyalists have been arrested following riots and shootings in Portadown and North and East Belfast?"

He said the party would be contacting the ombudsman's office in the coming days to ask what course of action it intends to take.

"Will they be investigating why the RUC choose to attack an entire community while turning a blind eye to the violent activities of the loyalist groupings?" he asked.

A spokesman for the RUC declined to comment on the arrests or the force's actions on the two nights but said if Sinn Féin wished to make a complaint to the ombudsman it was free to do so.