‘Unthinkable' that Belfast bonfire would go ahead, says Sinn Féin
Belfast
would be allowed to go ahead,
Sinn Féin
has said.
Party MLA Pat Sheehan called for 'firm, immediate action' from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) over the pyre in the south of the city which is on a site that contains asbestos and is close to an electricity substation that powers two hospitals.
Meanwhile, a Church of Ireland archbishop has described an effigy of migrants in a boat on a separate bonfire in
Co Tyrone
as 'inhuman and deeply sub-Christian'.
Tensions are continuing to smoulder around both of the bonfires that have attracted significant controversy.
READ MORE
In Belfast, a city council committee voted on Wednesday to send contractors to remove the towering pyre on Meridi Street off the Donegall Road.
The
PSNI
declared it a 'major incident' as the force considers a request from the council to help contractors remove it.
Mr Sheehan said the silence from political unionism over the controversy has been 'deafening'.
He added: 'They must step up and make it clear they do not support the burning of materials that threaten hospital power supplies and risk releasing asbestos into the air.
'The PSNI must act now to prevent this from escalating.
'Waiting until it's too late is not an option. We need firm, immediate action. This bonfire poses a serious threat to the local community.
The Sinn Féin MLA added: 'It is unthinkable that this bonfire could go ahead, endangering lives, damaging property and putting critical infrastructure at risk.'
The
DUP
leader on Belfast City Council, Sarah Bunting, said the council decision was 'foolhardy' and risked increasing tensions with the local community.
In a social media post she said: 'The decision to remove the bonfire was made without adequate consultation or consideration of community impact, and we believe it requires further scrutiny.
She said the decision is 'political not a health and safety one'.
'It is foolhardy and has ramped tensions up in an area which has suffered considerably from interface problems,' she said.
A PSNI spokesperson said on Wednesday that a tactical coordination group has been established with multi-agency partners to ensure joint understanding and to comprehensively assess all of the risks associated with the request to assist contractors on the site.
'No decision has been taken at this stage and we continue to work with our partner agencies and community representatives on this matter,' the spokesperson added.
Meanwhile, there have been calls to remove effigies of migrants in a boat that have been placed on a loyalist bonfire in Moygashel on the outskirts of Dungannon in Co Tyrone.
The boat containing more than a dozen life-sized mannequins wearing life jackets was unveiled on top of the bonfire. Below the boat are several placards, one stating: 'stop the boats', and another: 'veterans before refugees'.
A model of a small boat with several figures depicting migrants inside can be seen on top of a loyalist bonfire on Thursday in Moygashel, United Kingdom. Photograph Charles McQuillan/ Getty Images
Overnight, an Irish tricolour flag was also placed on top of the bonfire, which is scheduled to be lit on Thursday night.
Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland John McDowell described the effigy as 'racist, threatening and offensive'.
He added: 'It certainly has nothing whatsoever to do with Christianity or with Protestant culture and is in fact inhuman and deeply sub-Christian.
'I hope that the many people from other countries, who live in that area, and who contribute so much to the economy and to the diversity of Dungannon, can be reassured that it does not in any way represent the feeling of the vast majority of their neighbours.'
There are around 300 bonfires set to be lit across Thursday and Friday night ahead of the Orange Order's July 12th parades on Saturday.
The traditional fires are lit ahead of the main date in the parading calendar of Protestant loyal orders, the Twelfth Of July.
While most of the bonfires pass off without incident, several have become the focus of contention due to the placing of flags, effigies and election posters on the structures before they are ignited. —PA
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