Unionist councillor says she felt intimidated during pro-Palestine protest in Guildhall

At a reconvened Full Council Meeting on Thursday, November 23, DUP Alderman Niree McMorris said she felt intimidated and unsafe during a protest in the Guildhall on Wednesday.

Alderman McMorris said: “Not only were we intimidated and threatened yesterday, but I felt that the chamber wasn’t a safe place to be and I’m not sure if it is safe place today or going forward.”

She highlighted a Facebook post, which used ‘disgusting, misogynistic language’ about fellow DUP councillor Julie Middleton.

She said councillors and staff faced a ‘tirade of abuse, threats and aggression’, while Derg UUP Alderman Derek Hussey received ‘very, very serious threats’ from a protester.

UUP Alderman Ryan McCready said the placing of a banner behind Mayor Patricia Logue and council staff, which called for the expulsion of Israel’s Ambassador for Ireland and featured Nazi imagery, was ‘inexcusable and unacceptable’.

He continued: “Decisions and words have consequences. This is deeply rattling, that people can’t feel they can come into work because they feel threatened, and this isn’t a civilised democratic means to conduct business.

“Yesterday should have been adjourned and we should have been dismissed until civil order was reinstated.

“There were people with their faces covered. I wouldn’t accepted that in a private business and I don’t expect that for Council members, and the conduct here yesterday [Wednesday] needs a serious review in addition to the PSNI investigation.’

People Before Profit District Councillor Shaun Harkin said: “Yesterday [Wednesday], this Council made decisions to put pressure on Governments and stand in solidarity with people facing genocide, and I woke up today to complaints about the protest.

“What else are people meant to do when their Government is backing the slaughter of innocent people. People should protest, people should organise sit-ins and block boats that are taking arms to Israel.

“We are now in a moment in history where we’re watching a genocidal war in Palestine, and the discussion today [Thursday] is a deflection from the seriousness of that discussion.

“I didn't feel intimidated, and I don’t want anyone to feel intimidated in this chamber, but we need to talk about the politics of this.’

UUP Alderman Derek Hussey said there were ‘procedural issues’ in allowing the protesters into the chamber, and that he was personally ‘verbally abused and threatened’ by a protester with no action taken.

“I’m not intimidated, but I’m concerned that it did happen,” Ald. Hussey said. “Colr. Harkin said he wasn’t intimidated, but there will be those who were.”

SDLP District Councillor Brian Tierney said the Guildhall was a public building and therefore it was ‘only right’ that it’s open for the public to ‘come and see how business is conducted’, but took issue with some protesters’ conduct.

“Lots of the commentary has overshadowed the discussion we’ve had, the genuine reason some protesters were here.

“I understand how and why members felt threatened or intimidated, because it couldn't have been a nice place to be.

“But we need to get back to the conversation. There hasn’t been one comment about the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) policy since yesterday [Wednesday] with all of the media attention.”