The DUP has no option but to “accept this outrage” of Michelle O’Neill attending the Drumcree parade protest, a leading unionist has argued.
Last week, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland announced that the Orange Order’s march from Drumcree down the Garvaghy Road would not take place.
The decision delighted nationalists, thousands of whom had protested the decision on the Garvaghy Road, leaving the Orangemen physically unable to enter the road and proceed with their march.
However, on Newstalk Breakfast, former News Letter Editor Ben Lowry said there is universal “dismay” across unionist opinion at what happened in Portadown.
“We had the Irish government getting involved in a partisan way,” he said.
“Note how the UK Government always stays neutral, but the Irish Government always comes in on behalf of nationalists.”
Some 2,000 people gathered near Drumcree. Picture by: Steven McAuley/Alamy Live News. Unionists are particularly unhappy with the behaviour of Michelle O’Neill, who refused to accept the ruling of the Parades Commission that 35 Orangemen be allowed to march down Garvaghy Road.
Instead, she attended the protest on the street “in solidarity with the Garvaghy Road residents, as attempts were made to force an unwanted Orange march through their community.”
The Sinn Féin Vice President has since been invited for an interview by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, who are investigating those who are "reasonably suspected of committing offences”.
A Drumcree parade protest Picture by: Steven McAuley/Alamy Live News. “We had the First Minister, Michelle O'Neill, not only leading a huge illegal gathering, she was encouraging people to stay until midnight,” Mr Lowry continued.
“Which went on day after day after day, got bigger and bigger with a pretence that it was a carnival.
“But actually, amongst the crowd was the full spectrum of nationalists from the most moderate members of the SDLP, right the way through to some very, very dangerous, dissident republicans and very intransigent people.
“And this prevailed at the end.”
Mr Lowry added that unionists feel that if they had done something similar, they “wouldn’t have got away with it”.
The Traditional Unionist Voice has called for the DUP to collapse the Assembly, arguing that it is not right that there are “lawbreakers are sitting in our Executive".
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and First Minister Michelle O’Neill. Picture by: PA Wire/PA Images. However, Mr Lowry predicted that the DUP will do no such thing.
“The reason that nothing will happen is the certainty there is, the knowledge that there is across unionism that if anything happens at all, it will always be Sinn Féin who will be rewarded,” he argued.
“I don't see any option other than unionists having to accept this outrage in which the First Minister of Northern Ireland, who praises herself, she actually praises herself as a First Minister for all, is allowed to get away with having encouraged this illegal demonstration.”
An Assembly election is due to take place next spring.
Main image: First Minister Michelle O'Neill on the Garvaghy Road. Picture by: Alamy.com.
