DUP questions Michelle O’Neill’s participation in Garvaghy Road protest

The DUP has questioned Michelle O’Neill’s participation in weekend protests on Portadown’s Garvaghy Road, where nationalists opposed a planned Orange Order parade from Drumcree Church.

The first minister attended Sunday’s protest alongside Sinn Féin ministers and party colleagues. Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald and SDLP leader and MP Claire Hanna were also present, according to the report.

The Parades Commission approved the application for the march on Friday, after 28 years of refusing permission for Orangemen to return through the mainly nationalist area following their church service. A court challenge to the decision was rejected in the early hours of Sunday.

Police later advised the Orangemen not to proceed after a large crowd, including representatives of nationalist parties, gathered to protest.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson said Ms O’Neill had “broken her pledge of office” and described the presence of political representatives at the protest as “shameful”.

In the Assembly, DUP MLA Phillip Brett asked the first and deputy first ministers whether Ms O’Neill’s participation was consistent with the pledge of office. A separate report said Ms O’Neill did not appear to answer the question directly.

Ms O’Neill defended her involvement by saying she had acted as Sinn Féin deputy leader rather than as first minister. She also questioned why unionism wanted to “railroad over the rights” of Garvaghy Road residents and said that it was 2026 and “we are not going back”.

Ms O’Neill’s participation has added to tensions between Stormont’s senior governing parties. The DUP said it was considering a range of actions, including possible breaches of the ministerial code and potential law-breaking. Complaints were reported to have been submitted to the Assembly’s standards watchdog, while suspected criminal activity was expected to be investigated by the PSNI.

The report said those processes were not expected to conclude until Christmas at the earliest, leaving the future of the Stormont institutions unresolved for the time being.