Ormeau arrest: Mark Sykes criticises PSNI's actions

The man arrested at a Troubles commemoration in south Belfast last week has defended his actions and said the police over-reacted.

Mark Sykes told BBC News NI that police intervention "should never have happened".

He said about 15 people were at the commemoration to remember the five men shot dead by loyalists at Sean Graham bookmakers in 1992.

One officer was suspended and another "re-positioned" following the incident.

The Police Federation has said there was no political bias from officers involved, one of whom is from a Catholic background, the other from a Protestant background.

Northern Ireland is currently in a strict coronavirus lockdown and large public gatherings are not permitted.

In his first interview since Friday's incident, Mr Skyes said that when he was at the commemoration he did not think it was in breach of Covid restrictions.

"I now know that the regulation is six but there's 25 for funerals," he said.

"We had prayers. There was a prayer service going on."

Several police officers attended the incident at the memorial on Friday

Mr Sykes, who was shot several times during the 1992 attack, believes the police deliberately intervened at the commemoration.

"I didn't get up on Friday morning to be arrested. I am sure the person who arrested me didn't get up on Friday morning to arrest me," he said.

"But somebody decided to arrest me on Friday and I think we need to get to the bottom of that."

Mr Sykes admitted swearing at police but insisted he was not physically aggressive while remarking on the PSNI's response to an incident in east Belfast last week.

He said the officer tried to arrest him.

"He went for the handcuffs and pursued me around a vehicle that was parked on the street," he said.

"I was eventually stopped in among family members and relatives.

"I don't think he could have put the cuffs on any tighter. I couldn't move my arms, and they were behind my back and I was put into the back of the (police) car and taken to Musgrave Street (police station)."

Mr Sykes was later released.

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He said there 14-15 people at the commemoration, all relatives of people who died.

A brother-in-law of Mr Sykes was one of those killed in the 1992 attack.

Five people were killed and several others were injured in the 1992 gun attack

Mr Sykes said the police intervention had traumatised relatives of those who were killed 29 years ago.

"It's obviously been a difficult couple of days for all and it should never have happened," he added.

Chief Constable Simon Byrne has apologised over what happened and the incident is being investigated by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland.

'Very difficult job'

The leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Steve Aiken said his party wanted the ombudsman to "conduct and conclude the investigation as a matter of urgency".

He also said they want the organisers of Friday's commemoration to answer questions too.

Mr Aiken was speaking after leading a UUP delegation to meet the chief constable.

"We outlined our commitment to support the PSNI but voiced our concerns at recent events," he said.

"In particular we want to see due process applied to the two officers who have been affected by Friday's incident on the Ormeau Road."

The UUP leader called for more support from society as a whole for police officers, who "face unknown danger as a matter of routine".

"Like the rest of us, they will make mistakes on occasion, but they require our understanding and our support and no political party should ever seek to use the police for political purposes, or we will turn a very difficult job into an impossible one," Mr Aiken added.

'Hurt and very let down'

Earlier, the chairman of the Police Federation, Mark Lindsay, said the two officers involved in the incident both feel "hurt and very let down".

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Stephen Nolan Show, Mr Lindsay said the two officers had been responding to another call when they saw about 30 people gathered on the road.

He said they were not neighbourhood officers and had been unaware a commemoration was taking place.

"I spoke to both of them separately and their recollection of events is almost identical," he said.

"They drove up the road and said, 'If we don't stop here we'll be criticised for not stopping if it is a gathering which is in breach of Covid'."

Mr Lindsay said they were advised by a more senior officer to engage with organisers after the event was over.