Effigies of lifejacket-wearing migrants in boats have been placed on a village bonfire in a display condemned by critics as ‘sickening’ and ‘racist’.
A sign saying ‘Stop the boats’ was also attached to the pyre in Moygashel, on the outskirts of Dungannon in Co Tyrone in Northern Ireland, prompting protests.
Another of the placards included states: ‘Veterans before refugees.’
Sinn Fein‘s Assembly member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone Colm Gildernew has been among those responding, branding the display ‘vile’ and ‘deplorable’.
He also called for fellow politicians to take action against the installation.
The Moygashel bonfire has become well known in recent years for contentious displays.
Last year a mock police car was burnt on the top of the bonfire and in 2023 a boat designed to represent the post-Brexit Irish Sea economic border was torched.
The bonfire has been built days ahead of loyalist groups’ annual Twelfth of July parades.
Effigies of lifejacket-wearing migrants in boats have been placed on a village bonfire in a display condemned by critics as ‘sickening’ and ‘racist’
A sign saying ‘Stop the boats’ was also attached to the pyre in Moygashel, on the outskirts of Dungannon in Co Tyrone in Northern Ireland
These are held to mark the victory of Protestant King William of Orange over Catholic King James II at the Battle of the Boyne, north of Dublin, in 1690.
That secured a Protestant line of succession to the British Crown.
Mr Gildernew said of the latest display in Moygashel: ‘This is an absolutely disgusting act, fuelled by sickening racist and far-right attitudes.
‘This is a clear incitement to hatred and must be removed immediately.
‘Those who come to our island to make it their home are not the enemy.
‘They are our friends, our neighbours, and are welcomed, cherished and valued by the vast majority of people here.
‘Political leaders in this area must step up, call for the removal of these offensive materials and make it clear they do not support such vile, deplorable views.’
SDLP leader Claire Hanna also condemned the bonfire, accusing some involved in the bonfire tradition in Northern Ireland of appearing to be motivated by ‘hate, confrontation and media rows’.
Sinn Fein ‘s Assembly member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone Colm Gildernew has been among those responding, branding the display ‘vile’ and ‘deplorable’
Another of the placards on the display states: ‘Veterans before refugees’
Sinn Fein ‘s Assembly member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone Colm Gildernew has been among those responding, branding the new display ‘vile’ and ‘deplorable’
She posted on X, formerly Twitter: ‘Intricate effigies of humans beings, for burning. Who is this for?’
But prominent loyalist activist Jamie Bryson insisted the display was a form of ‘artistic protest’, saying: ‘Every year Moygashel bonfire combines artistic protest with their cultural celebration.’
He said on X: ‘Their yearly art has itself become a tradition.
‘This year the focus is on the scandal of mass illegal immigration.’
A spokesperson for the Police Service of Northern Ireland said: ‘Police are aware of an item placed on a bonfire at the Moygashel area. Inquiries are continuing.’
Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International’s Northern Ireland director, has described the bonfire as a ‘vile, dehumanising act that fuels hatred and racism’.
He said: ‘It cruelly mocks the suffering of people who risk everything to flee war, persecution, and hardship in search of safety.
‘Beyond being morally reprehensible, it incites hostility toward already marginalised and vulnerable communities.
A mock police car seen set alight on top of a bonfire in Moygashel near Dungannon last year
People watch as the pyre with a boat on top was set alight in Moygashel on July 8 2023
‘Amnesty International urges the authorities to ensure its immediate removal and calls on the PSNI to investigate and hold those responsible to account.
‘A clear and unequivocal message must be sent that xenophobia and incitement to hatred have no place in our society.’
The Moygashel tower is one of an estimated 300 bonfires that will be lit in loyalist areas across Northern Ireland on the nights of July 10 and 11.
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.
Other fires have prompted public safety concerns.
In Belfast, legal action is expected to be launched over a bonfire close to an electricity substation which powers two major hospitals.
Electricity network provider NIE Networks said it has put mitigations in place at the substation in the south of the city to reduce the risk of damage.
In 2023 a boat designed to represent the post-Brexit Irish Sea economic border was torched
The display that year in Moygashel bore a message protesting against the mooted border
It is understood that correspondence has been exchanged between a Belfast legal firm and the PSNI, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Belfast City Council, the Department for Infrastructure and the Department for Communities.
The PSNI said it ‘continues to work with our partner agencies, community representatives and landowners to address community safety issues relating to bonfires’.
A spokesperson added: ‘As there is the potential that judicial proceedings may be initiated, it would be inappropriate to comment any further.’
The Belfast Health Trust has confirmed the substation supplies power to both the Royal Victoria Hospital and Belfast City Hospital.
The trust said it continued to monitor bonfire developments near the Donegall Road and that at this stage there was no requirement to cancel any appointments.
