The DUP politician who mocked the Irish language has received a “serious threat to his life.”
Gregory Campbell, MP for East Derry, has said he will not be “dictated to or deflected by terrorists”.
Mr Campbell made the comments during a debate on minority languages with a Sinn Féin politician in the Belfast assembly. Mr Campbell said “curry my yoghurt can coca colayer”, which appeared to be an imitation of the “go raibh maith agat, Ceann Comhairle” which Sinn Féin members of the Northern Ireland assembly would use to address the speaker.
At the time, Sinn Féin’s Culture Minister in Northern Ireland, Carál Ní Chuilín, described the actions of the Mr Campbell as “pure ignorance”.
Campbell mentioned the comments at the DUP party conference over the weekend, producing a tub of yoghurt and saying to delegates: "So I got some yoghurt today and I'm looking forward to lunch, because they tell me there's some curry there."
The PSNI have now warned Mr Campbell there is a threat against his life, according to the Belfast Telegraph.
Campbell said: “I will not be apologising for, or deviating from doing the right thing.
"This is not the first time that my life has been put under threat by republicans, and the challenge now is whether those who supported the threats in the past will condemn those who do it now. If they do, it is an indication that we have indeed moved on.
"I will not be dictated to or deflected by terrorists. I took the opportunity today at Question Time, to reiterate my determination. Exposing those politicising the Irish language, as well as those making unrealistic political demands at the talks table is the right thing to do. How dare anyone try to suggest that it is something to be ashamed of,” he added.
Micheal O’ Duibh, chief executive of Comhairle na Gaelscolaiochta, the body responsible for the promotion of teaching through Irish in Northern Ireland - addressed the conference on the first day and engaged in a debate on the Irish language but said he felt Campbell’s subsequent comments was “one step forward, two steps back.”
He said it felt like "one step forward, two steps back" after Gregory Campbell's remarks.
Mr O’Duibh told the Belfast Telegraph that his appearance at the conference was a first and a positive sign of progress on the issue of the use of the Irish language, saying:
"It was a first for Irish-medium education and, most likely, a first for anybody from the Irish language background to be invited to a DUP conference.
"I gave a very warm céad míle fáilte to everybody and brought across a very strong, positive message that the Irish language and Irish-medium education is there for any parent who chooses it for their child, regardless of their social, cultural, religious or indeed linguistic background.”
