Hundreds gather for dissident republican Easter parade

Several hundred people, including some in combat uniforms and wearing face coverings, have taken part in a dissident republican Easter commemoration in Londonderry.

The parade from Creggan to the city cemetery on Monday was led by 18 people in paramilitary-style uniforms, in direct contravention of a ruling by the Parades Commission.

The event to commemorate the 1916 Easter Rising was organised by the political party Saoradh, which the police has previously linked to the New IRA.

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Ch Sup Gillian Kearney said a live investigation is ongoing.

This year, the Saoradh national committee said it would be accompanied by one flute band and 500 participants and supporters.

It stopped briefly for a man in paramilitary-style uniform to lay a wreath at the republican monument in Creggan.

When the parade reached the cemetery, around a dozen masked young people were seen with petrol bombs.

The Parades Commission said no paramilitary-style clothing should be worn or illegal flags displayed this year.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said a number of participants were observed to be wearing paramilitary-style uniforms, believed to be an offence under the Terrorism Act 2000, and a breach of the Parades Commission determination.

Ch Sup Gillian Kearney said: "The outcomes of our investigations from previous years illustrates that where offences occur, we will investigate."

Last year, violence flared following a similar parade, with rioters throwing about 50 petrol bombs at the police near the city walls.