Four PSNI officers reported headaches as part of injuries suffered during a protest organised at Queen’s University Belfast against the appearance of Hillary Clinton at an event last month.
Four people were arrested and three later charged following clashes between protesters outside the event on November 14.
Footage of the clashes circulated on social media, while the PSNI said its officers had suffered a number of injuries following the incident.
A Freedom of Information request submitted by the QUB Palestine Assembly to the PSNI detailed the extent of the injuries suffered by officers at the event.
The injuries included four headaches, one case of whiplash and 16 “strains or sprains” - but did not include details of whether officers were hospitalised or had to take time off work.
A statement from the QUB Palestine Assembly said the response had “vindicated” its scepticism over the injuries reported by the PSNI.
“In an evasive response to a Freedom of Information request, we learn that among the injuries reported by police are four headaches, one case of whiplash, one abrasion, 16 strains or sprains and one other.
“The PSNI did not disclose whether any of their personnel required hospital treatment, or whether any of those claiming injury had been absent from work as a result, but none of these involved physical assault by violent protesters.
“The university has denied access to any information that might corroborate its press release, claiming data protection concerns.
“We now call on the PSNI and university officials to formally withdraw their false claims, and to drop all charges against our members.
“As anyone who attended is already aware, ours was an entirely peaceful protest: the only violence that occurred was carried out by the PSNI - regrettably, it appears, with a green light from our own institution.”
A PSNI spokesperson said the matter was the subject of a live criminal investigation it would be “inappropriate” to comment.
A spokesperson for the university said the protest on its campus “could not be described as peaceful”.
“Queen’s stands by its original statement that was issued in the aftermath of the events on 14 November,” a spokesperson said.
“We have consistently and unequivocally made clear our support of the right to peaceful protest, but the events of that day could not be described as peaceful in any way given the public disorder, death threat against a senior member of staff and injuries to security staff and police. We have nothing further to add.”
