TWO parades on Saturday by Irish republican groups are to be reviewed by Glasgow City Council in the wake of violent scenes in Govan on Friday.

Updated police information will inform any decisions taken by the council regarding the two marches this weekend. 

It comes as the council leader said the local authority may need to “push the law” on parades to protect the public from any repeat of the events in Govan.

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “We’ll look again at the processions scheduled for this weekend once we have an updated assessment from police. 

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“It is important we understand what impact they expect the events of Friday night to have on those processions.”
Meanwhile, a parade by a loyalist flute band took place last night and passed without incident.

The Dennistoun Rangers Flute Band marched with around 100 followers from Irongray Street, in Haghill, at 6.45pm along Cumbernauld Road and Duke Street before dispersing around half an hour later. 

Council leader Susan Aitken said that the local authority had limited powers as it must balance the right
to protest with the protection of the public.

Discussions are taking place this week ahead of the marches. It follows a summer in which several marches by the Orange Order and Apprentice Boys of Derry were re-routed from a Catholic Church on the advice of the police due to planned protests.

The Herald:

The Dennistoun Rangers Flute Band

Saturday’s two parades were granted permission before the scenes on Friday night, which led to calls for tougher action on potentially disruptive events.

Ms Aitken said that the council is limited by law in what it can do but said that the law may need to be tested.

She said: “There’s no doubt we need to have some very serious discussions with the police and with our colleagues in Scottish Government, which we are doing,” she said.

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“The law is very clear about this; the council’s powers are certainly very, very limited. The police perhaps can do more. The intelligence they give us determines the decisions we are able to make, which  I say are limited.”

She added: “There may be an issue about legislation here that we maybe need to test. I am absolutely clear the council’s procedures are not in any way at fault here.

“The council made the decisions that the council has the ability to make.

“Over the past year Glasgow City Council has pushed the law as far as it can on this to the extent that it has been taken to court and it may well be that that’s how it has to do this again.

“Human rights law trumps domestic law. People absolutely have a human right to march and process and we have the duty to facilitate that.

“We’re at the point now where that right is being abused and therefore we have to consider as a public authority alongside the other public authorities who have a role in this that we push the law further in order to protect the public.”

A Spanish Civil War International Brigade commemoration march by Cairde na hEireann Calton Republicans is due to start at Millroad Street, in Calton, at 1.30pm on Saturday and proceed to the La Pasionaria monument in Clyde Street.

Another march, by Friends of Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association, starting at Blythswood Square and going to Barrowland Park via the city centre is due to take place at 3pm.

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A spokesman for council leader Ms Aitken said: “We constantly examine and test our procedures, within the limitations of the current legislation, to try and support our communities. 

“There is no question that will continue; but it is equally important that the Minister [Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf] has indicated that, following the events of Friday night, he is also now open to discussions about further action.”

“Any new approach to parades requires partnership between all levels of government, police and our communities – so that commitment is very welcome.”