The Sinn Féin vice president also said she does not expect to be arrested over the incident.
asserted
she → say → incident
Ms O’Neill made the comments as she and party president Mary Lou McDonald arrived for a meeting in Dublin with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris to discuss the Drumcree standoff.
asserted
she → make → standoff
She and other senior colleagues were among a large crowd that blockaded the road in the predominantly nationalist Garvaghy Road area on Sunday to prevent the contentious Orange Order Drumcree parade from passing the route.
asserted
that → blockade → route
Under parading laws in Northern Ireland, protests must be notified to, and approved by, the Parades Commission adjudication body.
asserted
protests → notify → body
Police have confirmed the protest was unnotified to the commission and therefore unlawful.
asserted
protest → confirm → commission
Arriving for the meeting at Government Buildings, Ms O’Neill was asked by the Press Association if she had been contacted by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, and whether she expects to be arrested following her attendance.
asserted
she → arrive → attendance
She replied: “No, I have not.
asserted
I → reply → ?
Later asked if she thought she was above the law, Ms O’Neill said: “What I think is that right is always right, and this community needs our support right now.
asserted
community → ask → support
“And I will continue to stand with the Garvaghy Road residents, they are under siege.”
asserted
they → continue → siege
Earlier, the First Minister failed to appear before MLAs at Stormont to answer an urgent question on her participation in the protest but did give a commitment to do so next week.
asserted
Minister → fail → commitment
Speaker Edwin Poots, who accused Ms O’Neill of displaying “gross contempt” for the Assembly for her no-show on Monday, had relisted the oral question for Tuesday afternoon.
asserted
who → accuse → afternoon
When the time came for the question to be called, Ms O’Neill was not in place at the dispatch box at Parliament Buildings in Belfast.
asserted
O’Neill → come → Belfast
Mr Poots said Ms O’Neill had initially indicated it was her intention to attend to answer the question, but she later informed him she was unable to because of “another urgent engagement”.
The Sinn Féin vice president had travelled to Dublin for the meeting with the Irish premier and deputy premier.
asserted
president → say → premier
“I have been given an assurance that the First Minister will attend the chamber at our next sitting on Monday,” said Mr Poots.
asserted
Poots → give → Monday
The urgent oral question was tabled by DUP MLA Phillip Brett.
asserted
question → table → Brett
The question to the Executive Office, which is jointly led by Ms O’Neill and DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, asked the First Minister to explain how her attendance at the unlawful protest on the Garvaghy Road was in keeping with her pledge of office.
asserted
attendance → lead → office
Ms O’Neill defended her attendance in a personal statement to the Assembly from the back benches on Monday, but she later declined to appear before the dispatch box to answer Mr Brett’s question.
asserted
she → defend → question
After her second no-show on Tuesday, the Speaker told MLAs he would have used his powers to compel Ms O’Neill to attend if she had not given a commitment to come to the chamber next week.
asserted
she → tell → chamber
While Mr Poots said he was content that resolved the matter and suggested to members that they move to the next item on the agenda, his announcement triggered a series of heated exchanges, with MLAs from across the chamber raising points of order.
uncertain
MLAs → say → order
DUP deputy First Minister Ms Little-Pengelly said Ms O’Neill should have prioritised her scheduled appearance at the Assembly.
asserted
O’Neill → say → Assembly
“Let me be very clear – I am in this House this afternoon as deputy First Minister,” she said.
asserted
she → let → Minister
“I had turned up to do my job.
asserted
I → turn → job
The First Minister was on the road in the Garvaghy Road at the weekend, chanting, encouraging people to break the law, encouraging and riling up people, dialling up the temperature and the rhetoric.
asserted
Minister → chant → temperature
“There is one party here that has been responsible.
asserted
that → be → ?
There is one party that has been deeply reckless, and one first minister that has been deeply reckless.
asserted
that → be → ?
She needs to come to this House and answer questions and subject herself to that scrutiny.”
asserted
She → need → scrutiny
Sinn Féin’s Deirdre Hargey insisted that her party colleague was not afraid to answer questions.
asserted
colleague → insist → questions
“She’s not afraid of any of you, so let me make that fact clear,” she said.
asserted
she → ’ → you
“While some try to use this House to inflame the situation, Michelle O’Neill is out trying to de-escalate it, and I think that will become apparent.
“And she will come to this House, and she will eyeball each and every one of you in the time ahead.
asserted
she → try → time
And she’ll do that in a respectful way, and she is not afraid of anyone.
asserted
she → do → anyone
“She is there to de-escalate the situation, and I think others need to do the same.”
asserted
others → de → same
UUP leader Jon Burrows described the developments as a “pantomime”.
asserted
Burrows → describe → pantomime
He noted that the Assembly had sat for only around two hours on Tuesday.
asserted
Assembly → note → Tuesday
“Like the promised border poll, the First Minister has failed to arrive and turn up,” said Mr Burrows.
asserted
Burrows → promise → poll
If anyone was watching what was going on today, there’s been barely any business except member statements and a few other bits and pieces that actually make any difference in the lives of people in Northern Ireland.”
asserted
that → watch → Ireland
He added: “This is a farce, and another day is wasted, and it has to lay at the door of Sinn Féin, who at their heart cannot obey the law.”
asserted
who → add → law
TUV MLA Timothy Gaston urged Mr Poots to compel Ms O’Neill’s attendance.
asserted
Gaston → urge → attendance
“She’s on the run from this Assembly and has given her assurance she’ll be here at the next sitting – I would take that with a pinch of salt,” he said.
asserted
he → ’ → salt
SDLP member Patsy McGlone, a former deputy speaker of the Assembly, urged MLAs to “restrain themselves” and moderate their remarks.
asserted
McGlone → urge → remarks
“Because the outside world is listening and watching,” he added.
asserted
he → listen → ?
…and 5 more, not listed.
The Aporia
