Alliance offices occupied in protest

Three people were arrested at a protest at the headquarters of the Alliance Party in south Belfast this morning.

Three people were arrested at a protest at the headquarters of the Alliance Party in south Belfast this morning.

Police were called to the office on University Street shortly after 10am after a number of people reportedly entered the building.

Reports on Twitter said members of a republican prisoner rights group had taken control of the building in protest over prison conditions and were seeking a meeting with Minister for Justice and Alliance Party leader David Ford.

Shortly before midday, a PSNI spokesman said three people were arrested at the scene and that the protest had ended.

This morning's incident came just two days after republican prisoner Brendan Lillis was transferred from Maghaberry Prison to an outside hospital on the advice of a prison doctor.

Mr Ford has refused requests from Sinn Féin and SDLP for Lillis (59) to be released on compassionate grounds because of his arthritis-related illness. He is suffers from ankylosing spondylitis, chronic arthritis, and weighs about 35 kilos.

A call to the Alliance Party head office went unanswered.

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Éanna Ó Caollaí

Éanna Ó Caollaí

Iriseoir agus Eagarthóir Gaeilge An Irish Times. Éanna Ó Caollaí is The Irish Times' Irish Language Editor, editor of The Irish Times Student Hub, and Education Supplements editor.