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.

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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.

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.