Heavy Presence of Police Ordered for IRA Funerals
Police announced today they were abandoning a policy of staying away from IRA funerals because five people, including two British soldiers, were killed during funerals last week.
Protestant activists had demanded that police reinstitute the policy of clamping tight security on Irish Republican Army funerals.
Describing the IRA threat as “deadly,” a police statement indicated security chiefs will order heavy police and troop presence at future IRA funerals.
“Experience has shown that maintenance of the law and prevention of outrages will only be guaranteed through the firm presence of the police and army,” a statement from the Royal Ulster Constabulary headquarters said.
The statement marked the swift collapse of a policy introduced under pressure from moderate Roman Catholic leaders in the hope of avoiding clashes.
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