Six arrested after Easter Rising memorial is disrupted

Police in Northern Ireland arrested six people last night after a masked man at a republican commemoration threatened further violence by dissidents opposed to the peace process.

The event to mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising against British rule in Ireland was addressed by a hooded spokesman for the Real IRA who pledged further attacks on police and soldiers.

Police said they chose to maintain a distance from the event in the Creggan cemetery in Londonderry, but a security force helicopter monitored the scene.

A senior detective has confirmed six men were later arrested and taken to Antrim for questioning.

The Easter Monday event was organised by the 32 County Sovereignty Movement and republicans gathered for a march and a wreath-laying ceremony.

The man in a balaclava and black combat gear who later read a statement on behalf of the Real IRA said its campaign of violence would continue.

“The IRA will continue to attack Crown Force personnel, their installations, as well as British interests and infrastructure,” he said.

The group is responsible for a series of attacks including the murder of two soldiers outside an army base in Antrim in 2009.