Reports that Scottish police were deployed at a controversial parade in Northern Ireland on Sunday have been described as “deeply concerning” by the Scottish Greens, who called for the agreement underlying it to be reviewed.
The party’s justice spokesperson, Maggie Chapman, said the Orange Order march on Garvaghy Road in Portadown was “designed to spread tensions and hatred”, and that the Parades Commission was “utterly wrong” to allow it to go ahead.
She said Scotland should not provide policing resources for events that “inflame tensions”, and called for the Scottish Government to review the policing agreement to ensure officers were not deployed to such events in future.
It is deeply concerning that Police Scotland officers were deployed to support policing around a march that caused such fear and division
The North East Scotland MSP also said she had raised the issue in a letter to Justice Secretary Neil Gray on Friday but had not received a response.
The Drumcree parade, which passes through a predominantly nationalist area and was associated with violent clashes during the Troubles, has been banned since 1998.
A ruling by the Parades Commission adjudication body permitting the march was upheld in a late-night sitting of the High Court in Belfast on Saturday.
Ms 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.
“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 Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The deployment of police officers on mutual aid is an operational matter for the chief constable.
“Mutual aid arrangements between forces are a longstanding feature of policing, which help to ensure that all forces are equipped to respond to major incidents or to cope with particular periods of high demand.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson 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.”