Traffic Disruption Expected In Belfast City Centre On Saturday Due To Parades And Protests

Road users in Belfast city centre are advised to anticipate potential traffic disruption on Saturday, 17th May, due to planned parades and protests.

Two separate parades are scheduled to take place, both commencing from Writer’s Square. The first parade will set off at 12 pm, following a route along Donegall Street, Royal Avenue, Donegall Place, and Donegall Square North, concluding with a rally at Belfast City Hall. The second parade will begin at 1 pm and will use the same route, also ending with a rally at City Hall.

Additionally, a number of protests are planned to take place at Belfast City Hall from 2 pm onwards.

It is expected that the parades and protests will have concluded by approximately 3:30 pm.

Police officers will be present in the city centre to manage traffic flow and ensure public safety during these events.

To minimise potential delays, road users are strongly advised to plan their journeys in advance for Saturday and consider seeking alternative routes during the affected times.

Anti-Poverty Strategy To Deliver For Communities – SDLP

SDLP West Belfast councillor Paul Doherty has called for the Executive's recently agreed draft anti-poverty strategy to deliver tangible help for communities in need and has urged immediate interventions while the strategy is finalised.

His comments follow reports that the draft strategy was signed off at an Executive meeting yesterday (Thursday, 15th May). An anti-poverty strategy for Northern Ireland was first committed to 18 years ago.

Councillor Doherty said: "Nearly two decades on from the agreement of the need for an anti-poverty strategy for the North and after years of legal wrangling we finally have a draft stratey agreed today. In the interim poverty has only got worse for communities here, with families finding it harder and harder to keep their heads above water."

While welcoming the progress, Councillor Doherty stressed that a strategy "without the measures needed to tackle poverty or the funding to do so will be meaningless." He highlighted that people currently struggling require assurances that it will address their immediate issues.

Given that the consultation process could take months, he urged the Communities Minister and the Executive "to make interventions to address poverty now in the interim," stating, "people are suffering now."

Councillor Doherty outlined what he believes the strategy must achieve: "We need this strategy to finally join the dots across all Stormont departments, from housing and health to education, jobs, and welfare to ensure a coordinated approach that leaves no one behind. It must be driven by clear targets, full accountability, and a commitment to invest in long-term change, not short-term fixes."

Reflecting on his work on the ground, he concluded: "I see the impact poverty has on people every day. It limits their potential, damages their health and keeps families trapped in a cycle that is difficult to break from. It is shameful that the Executive has not done more to tackle poverty over the past few decades and this strategy needs to mark a turning point where we address the underlying causes of poverty and ensure that everyone who lives here is afforded dignity and support."

Alliance Condemn Those Behind Hoax Device That Forced School Closure

Alliance South Belfast MLA Paula Bradshaw has hit out at those behind a hoax device which has forced the closure of a local primary school.

The suspicious package was discovered close to Finaghy Primary School on Friday morning and following investigations, it was determined as a hoax. The surrounding area has been cordoned off, with the school closing for the day.

"I condemn those behind this incident in the strongest possible terms. Residents, businesses, commuters and schoolchildren now all have disruption to their day, with the school particularly affected," said Ms Bradshaw.

"The fact this was a hoax lends a particularly sinister edge to these events. My thoughts are especially with the parents of Finaghy Primary School pupils, who are having to explain to pupils why their school is closed, and staff at the school, who will currently be managing this situation in a calm and professional manner.

"My thanks go to police and other agencies for their quick reaction, and I appeal for anyone with information to take it to the PSNI immediately."