"IRA" band will be allowed to march through Glasgow

An Irish republican flute band being investigated for potentially breaching the Terrorism Act will be allowed to march through Glasgow despite Police Scotland raising concerns about counter protests.

Cairde Na Heireann, who organised an International Brigade Commemoration on Saturday, 7th September have now agreed to follow a shorter route but contested Police Scotland's bid to stop the 'Sean McIlvenna Republican Flute Band' from taking part in the procession.

Councillors on Glasgow City Council’s public processions committee decided not to ban the band.

They are being probed by police following a Facebook post apparently showing "overt" support for a terrorist organisation.

The committee made the decision despite earlier agreeing conditions with the James Connolly Republican Flute Band which will prevent the Sean McIlvenna band taking part in a procession on August 30th.

Cairde Na Heireann’s representative Francis McAdam argued the band should be allowed to march as no one had been found guilty. Chief Inspector Stevie Hazlett confirmed inquiries were ongoing and no one had been charged.

Police Scotland called for the 7th September march to be re-routed and the band to be stopped due to disruption at a previous procession on 27th July, where people gathered to protest the route, causing a 90 minute delay.

Following the procession, the band posted on Facebook: "Take note This band does not do rerouting. Never has never will we are a IRA BAND NAMED AFTER A IRA VOLUNTEER.

"He was never re-routed he was at the forefront and we will always march in his Memory and every Irish Republican volunteers."

Superintendent John McBride, Specialist Operations, told the committee: "Initial enquires confirm the post as genuine and enquiries regarding any contravention of the Terrorism Act are ongoing in this regard."

The force claimed more than 200 officers would be needed to deal with September’s march if it was allowed to pass St Alphonsus and St Mary’s churches in Calton, where there has been a "frankly troubling change in rhetoric" since Canon Thomas White was spat on during an Orange march last year.

Mr Hazlett said re-routing the march would reduce the chance of protests but admitted: "I can’t speak for organisations I’m not a member of." He said it was "prudent" to stop the Sean McIlvenna band from marching until officers established what had happened.

Mr McAdam, who was present on July 27, said the republican bands had refused to re-route as it "would be giving in to threats of violence" from demonstrators. He said his organisation was "quite happy" to re-route its September march.

But he told the committee the Sean McIlvenna band has been on the road for 20 years with an exemplary record and said it was "totally astonishing" it could be banned "because of one Facebook post that might not have been them". He said people were "innocent until proven guilty".

The committee decided only to impose the alternative route, which was agreed by the organisers and avoids the two churches.

The James Connolly band also agreed to start earlier to abide by the council’s policy on playing music.

A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman said: "The public processions committee was held today for the organisations to make their cases.

"The committee were satisfied with the representations put forward in respect of the removal of the band while a police investigation is still on going.

"The procession has been re-routed."