TUV deputy leader Councillor Ron McDowell said:
“Those engaged in trouble need to wise up and be aware that while they may not have been lifted by the police yet, the PSNI will be looking at their own footage and images which are circulating on social media to identify offenders. Prosecutions will blight lives, creating difficulties long after the sentence is served when it comes to employment and even travel.
“That said, I cycled through four of the rallies and saw no trouble. It was clear to me that they were ordinary working class communities which are at breaking point. They were not out to cause trouble but they are people who are rightly feeling ignored and isolated. There is a need for a debate about the issues caused by immigration and the pressures which it is causing when it comes to public services, particularly health and education in lower income areas. The refusal of the media to facilitate open and full debate of these matters across the UK is feeding resentment and distrust. While the violence of the weekend is to be rightly condemned and those responsible will rightly face the consequences, the issues caused by mass immigration can no longer be ignored.
“With Northern Ireland potentially excluded from UK wide measures to control the issue because of the Protocol, immigration has the potential to become an even greater problem in this part of the United Kingdom. Branding those who express concerns about the matter as “far right” and ignoring them when there are legitimate concerns involved is not the solution.”