Skip to content

BLM protestors: 'We just wanted our voices to be heard'

Fourteen people reported to Northern Ireland's Public Prosecution Service (PPS) after Black Lives Matter protests last year will not be prosecuted.

They were referred to the PPS for potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations in Belfast and Londonderry

Sipho Sibanda, who was part of the group, said demonstrators "just wanted our voices to be heard".

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has repeated the chief constable's apology for any "anger, upset and frustration caused".

The PPS said there was "no reasonable prospect of conviction for any offence".

Read more here.

2 June 2021

Black Lives Matter

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Explore More

Noleen Mullan, the mother of Katie Simpson, speaking at a press conference. She is wearing an olive coat over a white top.

Katie Simpson family 'feeling empty' after report

Northern Ireland

Gillian Kearney speaking at a police press conference. There is a green PSNI banner behind her and four microphones in front. She is in uniform and has blonde hair, which is tied back.

Increased police presence in Derry after attacks

Northern Ireland

Chelsea Hamilton. She has red hair tied back, a septum ring and wearing a black jumper.

'He headbutted me, kicked me and I heard my ribs break'

Northern Ireland

BBC News

'We are the cornerstone of that church'

Northern Ireland

Ch Insp Anthony Kelly in navy suit and patterned white shirt

'We know this brutal murder has caused great concern'

Northern Ireland

Newtownards attack

Petrol bomb thrown at Newtownards mosque

Northern Ireland

Melanie Jones

PSNI update on weekend policing plans

Northern Ireland

a man with his face covered running alongside a PSNI vehicle; he looks like he is about to throw a projectile that he is holding

Dozens involved in 'protracted' south Belfast disorder

Northern Ireland

Jon Boutcher

'This should not have happened'

Northern Ireland

Fr McCafferty

People feel numb after Belfast murders - priest

Northern Ireland

Det Insp Gina Quinn

Conway murder was ruthless and calculated - PSNI

Northern Ireland

Ciaran Kelly

Takeaway arson causes 'a lot of upheaval'

Northern Ireland

Christopher Sherrard

'Road policing cuts very worrying' - campaigner

Northern Ireland

Mullan family

'No mummy ever wants to see their child like that'

Northern Ireland

Keyframe #3

Police release CCTV in Mark Lovell murder appeal

Northern Ireland

Jon Boutcher

'There's a big list of things that need to be sorted'

Northern Ireland

PSNI officer

Drug supply market 'transformed' by social media

Northern Ireland

PSNI Det Supt Lindsay Fisher

'No defence for disregarding sexual consent'

Northern Ireland

Simon Byrne

Simon Byrne’s PSNI resignation explained

Northern Ireland

The Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), Simon Byrne, has resigned.

Announcement of Simon Byrne's resignation

Northern Ireland

Emma, with long brown hair and wearing a purple hoody, looks to the side of the camera

How schools can help bereaved pupils with grief

Emma, who lost her brother, says it can be "overwhelming" to deal with grief alongside school work.

Northern Ireland

Tom Hadden sits on a grey sofa. He is wearing a stripey top.

'Rural road crash changed my life'

Tom Hadden was driving a bin lorry down a country road when another truck collided with his vehicle.

Northern Ireland

A woman with straight blonde hair looks to the side of the camera. She is wearing a blue t-shirt and necklace.

Parents of SEN young people call for support

Currently pupils with special educational needs do not receive automatic support to continue in education when they leave school.

Northern Ireland

Memorial stone in Ballyatrick forest to Inga Maria Hauser. Bouquets of flowers have been placed around the stone

Murdered backpacker's family hopeful over inquest

Eighteen-year-old Inga Maria Hauser's body was found in Ballypatrick forest in County Antrim in 1988.

Northern Ireland

A hole in a dark gravel road up close with a road continuing in the background surrounded by fields

'The edges have eroded away'

Potholes and deteriorating rural roads are affecting journeys, said a transport provider.

Northern Ireland

Sebastian is being kissed on the cheek by his mother Amanda. He has short blonde hair and is wearing a blue jacket. Amanda is wearing a black and white headscarf and gold feathered earrings.

'He has nowhere to go and he's still there'

Sebastian's mother said he had limited access to the outside world after spending 10 months in hospital.

Northern Ireland

Debbie McCrudden

'I'm glad I didn't let the fear stop me'

Debbie McCrudden was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2014 and was worried about having children.

Northern Ireland

A man with black glasses and a yellow jumper looks at the camera. He has black hair

'We caught my cancer early - that was key'

Two men are raising awareness of the signs of testicular and prostate cancer.

Northern Ireland

A man with a black beard and black hair stands in front of University of Ulster building wearing a black hoody

Belfast reacts to Trump's US election victory

BBC NI asks people in Belfast how they feel about Donald Trump's victory in the US election.

Northern Ireland

Sandra Larmour

‘Drugs was never really a topic of conversation’

Sandra Larmour's daughter Jeni died hours after arriving at Newcastle University to begin her degree.

Northern Ireland

Indiana Land sign, with snakes and birds

A trip down memory lane with BBC archives

More than 9,000 new video clips from the 1990s have been added to the BBC Northern Ireland Rewind website.

Northern Ireland

Cahir O'Hagan in football top in stadium

'Medication wasn't able to save my brother'

Cahir O'Hagan was 25 when he died from cystic fibrosis while waiting for a lung transplant.

Northern Ireland

Lara Storey sitting in front of a window

'I never had anyone sit down and take me seriously'

Former Tesco employee Lara Storey wants other women to know they don’t have to accept unwanted behaviour.

Northern Ireland

Melissa Hamilton - a woman with long, blonde hair which is tied back in a ponytail is smiling as she looks slightly off camera.

'To perform ballet back home is a dream come true'

Melissa Hamilton is performing three ballet shows in Belfast's Grand Opera House this weekend.

Northern Ireland

Kwame Daniels in front of the Telegraph building in Belfast. He is wearing thick-rimmed glasses, a green jacket, a red shirt and a ruck sack.

'I'm home': Anti-slavery show explores Belfast diversity

A unique live show commemorating Belfast's opposition to the slave trade has opened in the city centre.

Northern Ireland

Deirdre Shakespeare wearing a white blouse and gold necklace. She has wavy blonde hair and is outside. There are trees and fields behind her.

Mother 'vindicated' by report into autistic son's treatment

Deirdre Shakespeare's son, Harry, was restrained in a chair at his special school without her knowledge.

Northern Ireland

Christine McCleery - she has long blonde hair and a black top on.

'I want to prevent this happening again' - Mum of stillborn baby

Services for pregnant women need to be overhauled in Northern Ireland, a review finds.

Northern Ireland

Woody the dog - he wears a harness and is a red labrador. He has beautiful brown eyes

'One ferret killed 27 puffins' - the dog keeping seabirds safe

Ferrets and rats pose a grave risk to puffins and other seabirds who breed on Rathlin Island every year.

Northern Ireland

Christ the Redeemer's vice-principal Nicola McKeown - she has blond hair and a wide smile

Grownups go back to maths class

Parents and grandparents go back to school to help pupils at Christ the Redeemer Primary School in Dunmurry.

Northern Ireland

A translink train, painted yellow, blue and grey, stationary on the rail lines at Belfast's Grand Central Station

'A hugely significant day for public transport'

Belfast's Grand Central Station first train left for Dublin Connolly.

Northern Ireland