Sinn Féin leaders interviewed over Garvaghy Road protest
Summarised from 3 outlets · 9 reports · Updated 21 Oct, 18:58 · Archive
Sinn Féin leaders Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O'Neill have been interviewed by police over their participation in an allegedly unlawful protest.
Sinn Féin leaders Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O'Neill attended Musgrave Police Station on Wednesday afternoon for arranged interviews with police investigating their participation in a protest on Garvaghy Road in Portadown last month. The demonstration was staged amid efforts to prevent an Orange Order parade passing down the predominantly nationalist road from nearby Drumcree Church.
Under parading laws in Northern Ireland, protests must be notified to and approved by the Parades Commission. Police are investigating the unnotified protest and said invitations to attend interviews had been sent to individuals 'reasonably suspected of committing offences'. Several Sinn Féin politicians received letters from the PSNI asking them to attend for interview, as did politicians from other parties.
A Parades Commission decision to allow the Orange Order parade to proceed down the Garvaghy Road for the first time in almost 30 years prompted a two-week stand-off at the site. The parade ultimately did not take place because of the significant numbers of protesters on the road, leading Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant to overturn the commission's decision and ban the procession.
Speaking to reporters before her interview, Ms McDonald said standing with the people of the Garvaghy Road was the 'right thing to do' and 'the only thing to do'. She stated the community faced 'great pressure and vulnerability' and that their 'right to live free from sectarian harassment was directly under threat'.
Ms O'Neill told reporters she would not be resigning as Stormont First Minister if prosecuted. She said: 'It was always the right thing to do to stand on the Garvaghy Road' and 'This is a community that deserved our leadership, a community that deserved our attention'. She added she would 'keep turning up for people' and continue her role as First Minister.
PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has previously made clear there would be 'consequences' for those found to have broken the law.
How it is being reported
- Sinn Féin leaders interviewed by police over protest participationMary-Lou McDonald and Michelle O’Neill attended Musgrave Street Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) station on Wednesday afternoon for arranged interviews.Belfast Live · 21 Oct, 18:35
- Sinn Féin leaders 'had an alternative to breaking the law - there is no circumstance in which it is right'Sinn Féin leaders Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O’Neill have attended police interviews over their actions on the Garvaghy Road, with the former saying that standing in opposition to an Orange parade had been both the “right thing to do” and “the only thing to do”.News Letter · 21 Oct, 17:50
- Michelle O'Neill says 'I'm going nowhere' as she arrives for police interviewFirst Minister Michelle O'Neill and Sinn Fein President Mary-Lou McDonald arrived at Musgrave Police Station this evening for an interview regarding the Garvaghy Road protestBelfast Live · 21 Oct, 17:03
- Sinn Fein leaders attend police station for interview over protest participationSinn Fein leaders Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O’Neill have arrived at a police station in Belfast for interview by officers investigating their participation in an allegedly unlawful protest in Portadown last month.News Letter · 21 Oct, 16:38
- Sinn Féin leaders interviewed by police over protest participationBelfast Telegraph · 21 Oct, 16:34
- Sinn Féin leaders attend police station for interview over protest participationBelfast Telegraph · 21 Oct, 16:34
- Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill and Mary Lou McDonald attend police station for Garvaghy Road protest interviewScroll down to read our live coverage of the Drumcree disputeBelfast Telegraph · 21 Oct, 16:10
- Michelle O’Neill and Mary Lou McDonald arrive at police station ahead of interview over Garvaghy Road protestScroll down to read our live coverage of the Drumcree disputeBelfast Telegraph · 21 Oct, 16:10
- Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill and Mary Lou McDonald leave police station following Garvaghy Road protest interviewScroll down to read our live coverage of the Drumcree disputeBelfast Telegraph · 21 Oct, 16:10
In this story: Mary Lou McDonald · Michelle O'Neill · Sinn Féin · Garvaghy Road · Portadown · Orange Order · Drumcree Church
This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem
Comments (0)