Published Date: 26.05.2021

The Police Ombudsman, Marie Anderson, has announced that she has commenced an investigation into a complaint she has received from a member of the public who was involved in a ‘Black Lives Matter’ protest at Guildhall Square, Derry/Londonderry, on Saturday 6 June 2020.
 
The complaint involves allegations of inconsistencies in the policing approach to engagement and enforcement at the Black Lives Matter protest when compared with the funeral of Bobby Storey. The complainant alleges that the inconsistencies amount to race discrimination.
 
The Police Ombudsman has a statutory duty to investigate qualifying complaints about police conduct and is satisfied that the complaint, received on 6 April 2021, is one that she is required to investigate.
 
The investigation will focus on matters related to the engagement of the PSNI with the organisers of the Black Lives Matter protest in Guildhall Square, Derry/Londonderry in advance of the event. The investigation will examine if this engagement was consistent with the PSNI's approach to the organisers of Bobby Storey’s funeral.

The investigation will also examine the PSNI strategy, policies and decision-making around the two events in light of this complaint.