Photos recently emerged online that show dissident republican leader Thomas Ashe Mellon leading an Easter commemoration event in Belfast. The event, which took place in Milltown Cemetery on Easter Sunday, saw crowds gather to pay their respects to those who lost their lives during the Easter Rising of 1916. The appearance of Mellon at the event has raised questions about the ongoing role of dissident republicans in Northern Ireland and their relationship with the wider Republican movement. This article will examine the significance of Mellon’s appearance and what it tells us about the current state of the Republican movement in Northern Ireland.
On April 22, 2019, an illegal republican parade took place in Derry, organized by the Derry 1916 Commemoration Committee. The parade was not notified to the Parades Commission, as is required by law, and police officers came under attack by youths in the Creggan area of the city. Several events marking the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising were held throughout the weekend by republicans, with some displaying paramilitary uniforms and shows of strength.
This year’s parade was organized by Saoradh member and alleged New IRA leader, Paddy Mellon. Mellon, who was sentenced as part of the group of 11 men convicted of an illegal republican parade in Derry in 2019, walked at the front of a color party during the parade. The BBC Spotlight program had alleged that the New IRA, in which Mellon was allegedly a leading member, had attempted to murder a senior PSNI officer, John Caldwell.
Despite heavy police presence, additional details of the parade had not been notified to the Parades Commission. While it passed off peacefully, concerns of police officers being drawn into “serious public disorder” by an un-notified parade were confirmed on Easter Monday. The police dismissed the portrayal of their presence as “incredibly disheartening” and assured their duty to “take steps to prevent offences from occurring, to maintain the peace and keep people safe.”
As for the Parade Commission, it requires organizers to notify at least 28 days in advance so that proper security checks and risk assessments could be made. The participants in the Derry 1916 Commemoration Committee failed to notify the Commission, thereby committing a criminal offence. To this, the police did not view the statements of PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Bobby Singleton and Derry City & Strabane Area Commander Chief Superintendent Nigel Goddard as helpful.
Despite protestations by organizers such as the Derry 1916 Commemoration Committee on their social media, the police reaffirmed their stance on maintaining the peace and ensuring public safety. They also criticized the parade organizers for failing to notify the Parades Commission, thereby inviting a possible larger police presence and greater risk of conflict.
