Defacement of ‘Londonderry’ signs raised after anti-Irish language vandals take angle-grinder to Belfast street sign

A hate-crime investigation was launched by the PSNI after anti-language vandals took an angle grinder to a dual language sign in Shandon Park on Saturday evening.

DUP MLA Phillip Brett said: “The attack on the Irish language street sign at Shandon Park on Saturday was wrong and should be condemned. I say that without fear or favour.

"Attacks on all signs, and all criminality, should be called out at all times. I am able to say that, but other elements of the House, and, indeed, the media, seem not to want to say the same thing. They pretend that it does not happen and ignore it when it does not fit their narrow agenda.

"In a podcast last week, a former Member of Parliament for Fermanagh and South Tyrone claimed with a straight face that she had never seen the blacking out of ‘London’ on a Londonderry sign.”

Mr. Brett claimed there were ‘double standards’ over the defacement and destruction of signs.

During the course of proceedings SDLP MLA Mark H. Durkan accused the DUP of blocking proposals to make ‘Londonderry’ road signs more inclusive.

"A few years ago, I put a proposal to the then Infrastructure Minister about changing the name on road signage from Londonderry to Londonderry/Derry in a bid to incorporate both names. It was received with opposition from his party,” said the Foyle MLA.

In response East Belfast DUP MP David Brooks was adamant: “The official name of the place is Londonderry, although I understand that some do not wish to use it.

"I hope that a similar attitude will be taken to the continuing damage to signage that has the name Londonderry on it, which has been happening for years across the Province, in light of what happened, for instance, in Shandon Park.”

During a debate on Irish street language signage UUP MLA Jon Burrows clashed with Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan.

"Will the Member condemn the defacing of Londonderry signs? Will he support people being arrested by the PSNI for that offence? Yes or no?” asked Mr. Burrows, who is a former PSNI Area Commander for Foyle.

Mr. Sheehan replied: “You, as a former police officer, should be able to tell us whether the police carried out any investigations.”

TUV MLA Timothy Gaston said: “Given the outrage over alleged damage to Irish language signs, I look forward to the wall-to-wall coverage when the next ‘Welcome to Northern Ireland’ or ‘Londonderry’ signs are defaced.”

SDLP MLA Matthew O’Toole referred to the Irish root of ‘Shandon Park’.

"If the place name ‘Shandon Park’ was translated into the English language, it would be ‘Old Fort Park’.

"At a certain point, we have to be honest with ourselves and honest with the people who represent us. I am not suggesting that absolutely everybody in unionist communities is thrilled about the Irish language, but, first of all, they are dual language signs and, secondly, there are many people in those communities who are open-minded about the language and want to learn more about it,” he said.