Police attacked during large scale Belfast Holyland gathering

Police were verbally abused and attacked with bottles as they dealt with a large group of people gathered in the Holyland area in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

wo people were arrested and Covid notices issued.

It’s thought up to 200 people had gathered in a street in the area.

Social media videos showed large groups of people gathered in Agincourt Avenue at around 2am with little social distancing apparent and while singing at the top of their voices.

Belfast’s Deputy Lord Mayor Peter McReynolds said he was shocked to see the video.

“Disappointingly, these actions may lead to someone who wasn’t even there getting the virus. Awful, just awful,” he said.

In a statement police said: “Officers were subjected to verbal abuse by some of those in attendance and had a number of bottles thrown at them. An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of disorderly behaviour and possession of an offensive weapon whilst a 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of disorderly behaviour.

“Both men have since been released pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service.”

As well as the two arrests, officers also issued six COV4 tickets and three COV2 tickets at a house party in the area.

COV4 notices carry a £200 fine while a COV2 notice is a prohibition notice to restrict gatherings at private homes.

There have been repeated scenes of people gathered in the Holyland area since September and the resumption of the academic year.

It has led to renewed calls for a re-examination of student housing in the city.

The latest incident comes after a Belfast councillor described legislation over Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO) as “a blight on the city”.

Councillors at a Belfast City Council Licensing Committee agreed to write to Stormont’s Department for Communities, requesting an urgent meeting with the Minister Caral Ni Chuilin over the issue of 2016 HMO legislation and its upcoming review.

HMOs, which landlords lease out to three or more tenants from different addresses, have become increasingly controversial, with some arguing they have negatively affected communities and led to anti-social behaviour in places like the Holyland and Stranmillis in South Belfast, where landlords fill houses with students.

Councils across Northern Ireland last year received powers to grant HMO status for houses, as well the power to renew landlord’s licenses.

But elected representatives at Belfast City Council have become increasingly worried that they are merely rubber-stamping existing licences for landlords.

Green Councillor Brian Smyth forwarded the proposal at the Licensing Committee for an urgent meeting with the Stormont minister. He told the council HMO legislation is “ineffective” and “a blight on the city, particularly on our inner-city working-class communities”.

Sinn Fein Councillor Nichola Bradley told the committee: “While the council has the responsibility for HMOs, the minister is on record as saying if councils need more powers, they need only to request a meeting with herself and the department and that she won’t be found wanting.”

Councillor Smyth said later: “There’s a groundswell of frustration with many parties over legislation – how we can’t reject renewals on the basis of over-provision. Some of us would argue the legislation isn’t working. This has been building for months.”

He said existing legislation is a “quagmire” and councillors felt like “nodding dogs” for HMO renewals.

He added: “HMO legislation is incredibly complex, and it also feels like it’s all over the place. For me as a Green it feels that the legislation is firmly in the hands of landlords. While I accept there are many decent landlords, there are rogue landlords out there, and as a council we are hamstrung.

“We are fighting with both hands strung behind our backs. You look at what is going on in the Holylands, and you see communities are being disempowered. Long-term residents are being hammered.”

He added: “What I proposed is a meeting with Caral Ni Chuilin, and I think she gets this. There is an upcoming review, and I think it will feed into this. I proposed last month in the committee that in terms of reference residents associations are included as stakeholders. LANI (the Landlords Association for Northern Ireland) have a powerful voice, individual residents don’t.”

He thanked his party colleague Councillor Aine Groogan for her work in the Botanic district on HMOss, as well as the SDLP’s Gary McKeown and the DUP’s Tracey Kelly in the same area.

He said: “There are some of us who are throwing everything at this. There’s a news cycle, the Holylands during St Patrick’s Day and freshers’ week, etc. Eyes go on it, and then that’s it. People forget about it until next year – but residents have to live with it.”

Belfast Telegraph