Michelle O'Neill has rejected DUP calls to resign over her involvement in protests that blocked an Orange Order march on Garvaghy Road on 27 September. Police are investigating alleged unlawful protests while the Court of Appeal considers the parade dispute. In Stormont, O'Neill said she was "proud" to stand with residents and will continue to do so, while dismissing accusations that she breached ministerial duties. Tensions remain high as unionist politicians press for respect for court rulings and ministerial accountability.
O'Neill Rejects Calls To Quit After Drumcree Protests, Vows To Stand With Garvaghy Road Residents
Protesters along the Garvaghy Road, with the road blocked at a number of points on 27 September [PA Media]
First Minister Michelle O'Neill has rejected demands from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) that she resign over her involvement with demonstrations connected to the Drumcree parade dispute in Portadown.
Police are investigating what they describe as "unlawful protests" that prevented an Orange Order march from proceeding along the predominantly nationalist Garvaghy Road on 27 September. The Court of Appeal has been asked to consider the legal dispute over the parade route.
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Answering an urgent question in the Stormont Assembly, tabled by DUP member Phillip Brett, O'Neill said she was "proud" to support local residents and would "continue to stand with them". She described the planned march as "unwanted, sectarian and triumphalist" and said she would defend the community's position.
"I'm going to continue to turn up for the people of the Garvaghy Road. I'm proud to stand with them and I will continue to stand with them," O'Neill told the chamber.
DUP and Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) politicians accused O'Neill of undermining ministerial duties. TUV assembly member Timothy Gaston labelled her the "first minister of lawlessness"; O'Neill responded: "I am the first minister of what is right." She also referenced a TUV councillor's AI-altered image of a loyalist rally with the remark, "we won't need to AI it."
DUP assembly member Jonathan Buckley asked whether O'Neill would "accept and abide by the lawful decision of the courts" once the appeal judges rule. O'Neill replied that "when the law is wrong I will stand firmly against it," reiterating her belief that the march was morally wrong.
O'Neill later criticised the DUP's handling of the dispute, telling members "shame on you," and rejected an accusation from Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader Jon Burrows that she was "completely morally bankrupt."
Earlier, Stormont Speaker Edwin Poots raised concerns that the first minister did not attend the chamber the previous Monday to answer the urgent question, calling her absence "discourteous" to the Assembly and the public and stressing the importance of ministerial accountability.
The situation remains tense as policing inquiries continue and the courts review the legality of the parade and the protests that blocked it.
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