Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill has said she will “co-operate” with a police investigation after she received a letter from the PSNI probing alleged criminal offences relating to her involvement in a protest against an Orange Order parade on the Garvaghy Road in Portadown.
asserted
she → say → Portadown
Ms O’Neill said on Friday she has received a letter inviting her for a police interview in relation to the protest in Co Armagh.
asserted
she → say → Armagh
“I will co-operate with the investigation,” she said in a statement.
asserted
she → co → statement
“For the last two weeks, I have stood in solidarity with the Garvaghy Road residents as attempts were made to force an unwanted Orange march through their community.
asserted
attempts → stand → community
“I will continue to stand with the Garvaghy Road residents who should be allowed to live in peace and free from sectarian intimidation.
“Because it is always right to stand up for what is right.
“
asserted
what → continue → intimidation
Sinn Féin colleagues Conor Murphy, John O’Dowd and Gerry Kelly have also received contact from the PSNI.
asserted
colleagues → receive → PSNI
It came after, during a visit to the Garvaghy Road, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald again called on Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant to act to bring the 13-day Drumcree stand-off to an end.
asserted
McDonald → come → end
The PSNI said on Thursday that individuals “reasonably suspected of committing offences” would receive letters for interview.
asserted
individuals → say → interview
It relates to alleged breaches of a Parades Commission decision to allow an Orange Order parade to complete its traditional route from Drumcree Church down the Garvaghy Road for the first time for almost 30 years.
asserted
parade → relate → years
The parade has been unable to take place because of significant numbers opposed to the decision attending protests on the Garvaghy Road.
asserted
parade → take → Road
Unionists have criticised the First Minister and other Sinn Féin ministers for having been in the area of the Garvaghy Road during the impasse.
asserted
Unionists → criticise → impasse
Read More
“We have said to the Secretary of State from the start of this process that we are expecting him and the chief constable to do the right thing for the law-abiding people that is up here on this hill and allow the parade to go through,” he said.
asserted
he → read → hill
Asked how he would react if Sir Chris did intervene and stop the Drumcree parade, Mr Power said: “Well, we will obviously not be very happy with that.
asserted
we → ask → that
“It will be the first time a secretary of state has intervened on a lawful parade in over 30 years, and returning it.
asserted
secretary → intervene → it
But we are law-abiding citizens, so we will have to abide by the law.
asserted
we → abide → law
“It just goes to show you that the law of rule wins.
asserted
law → go → rule
We have said from the start that we are a law-abiding organisation.
asserted
we → say → start
“We have abided by the law for the last 28 years, 52 Sundays of the year, and now that we have a positive determination, we’re told ‘just walk away from this place’, that’s not going to happen.”
asserted
that → abide → place
Mr Power said he would not rule out further court action to challenge an intervention if it did happen.
asserted
it → say → intervention
“That’ll be up to the district and our legal team to see where we stand on that, but probably will be an option that we will use,” he added.
asserted
he → see → that
Ms O’Neill is facing a motion of no confidence when the Northern Ireland Assembly sits on Monday.
asserted
Assembly → face → Monday
A number of senior Sinn Féin figures visited the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road again on Friday.
asserted
number → visit → Friday
Ms O’Neill and Ms McDonald were accompanied by Mr Murphy, Mr O’Dowd, Stormont’s Finance Minister and Mr Kelly, who have all received correspondence.
asserted
who → accompany → correspondence
Ms McDonald pointed out the length of the impasse and said Sir Chris must now take action to bring the crisis to an end.
asserted
Chris → point → end
She said: “It has been our expectation, it was our wish from the get-go, that the Secretary of State will intervene, and we’re calling on him again to do exactly that.
“No further time should be wasted, we need to bring clarity, we need to bring finality.
“
asserted
we → say → finality
It needs to be clear that this Orange march is now definitively off the table, so that this community can breathe easy again and return to their normal lives.
asserted
community → need → lives
“The very idea of leaving a vacuum like this is irresponsible, to say the least of it.
asserted
idea → leave → it
“The Secretary of State has to intervene, must intervene, and we urge him again at the earliest opportunity to do exactly that.”
asserted
we → intervene → that
Meanwhile, loyalist activist Jamie Bryson accused nationalist politicians of being responsible for death threats made to him and DUP MP Carla Lockhart.
asserted
Bryson → accuse → him
“I have received over 1,500 abusive calls, over 280 voicemail threats to kill, to murder me, my family, people around me, and things have just reached a level now where it’s totally unacceptable,” he said.
asserted
he → receive → level
“It’s certainly my particular view that nationalist politicians are responsible for painting the target on my back. Every press conference that’s conducted by Sinn Féin or the SDLP, they are attributing this to me and essentially painting a target on my back, and that’s a very dangerous place, which nobody should be doing.
asserted
nobody → ’ → which
“I have to say to them, they need to think about what they’re doing and they need to take responsibility for what might flow from the target that they’re painting on my back.
uncertain
they → say → back
“We seen (sic) last week that they called the mob in court, as did other people.
asserted
people → see → court
“We then seen (sic) what the mob did, and two people have already been arrested for threats to kill myself and Carla and others, so they’ve lost control of the mob now.
“
asserted
they → see → mob
We said all along we would sort this out within the courts.
asserted
we → say → courts
Nationalism has completely lost the run of itself.
asserted
Nationalism → lose → itself
Nationalist politicians are painting a target on my back, on Carla’s back as well.
asserted
politicians → paint → back
“And last night, threats to shoot Carla – a mother with children and a family – threatened to shoot her, threats to murder me.
asserted
threats → shoot → me
It has completely got out of all control, and I think that nationalist politicians in particular, now need to step back, think about the mob that they have unleashed, and call off their mob before somebody gets seriously hurt here.”
asserted
somebody → get → mob
Mr Bryson said that anger is building within unionist and loyalist communities, but called for them not to take to the streets.
asserted
them → say → streets
…and 16 more, not listed.
The Aporia
