Sinn Féin has condemned the burning of images of First Minister Michelle O'Neill on a bonfire in Londonderry, an act described by a party representative as "anti-democratic and the very antithesis of Irish republicanism" due to its sectarian nature.
During the early hours of Saturday, a bonfire near the Lecky Road flyover was set alight shortly before 11 p.m. BST. Nearly 500 pallets had been removed from the site during the preceding week. Attached to the bonfire were photographs of O'Neill, alongside Union Jack flags, Israeli flags, symbols representing the Parachute Regiment, and Northern Ireland flags. Fireworks were observed at 10:45 p.m. just before the bonfire was ignited.
A significant crowd gathered to witness the event, with police observing from the city walls overlooking the Bogside. Another smaller gathering watched from the same vantage point.
Similar bonfires occurred in the Creggan and Top of the Hill areas of the city, where flags and effigies were placed on them before being lit. The burning of bonfires on August 15 is a traditional practice in some nationalist areas of Northern Ireland.
John Finucane, the Member of Parliament for North Belfast, stated that such bonfires, in their "hate-filled sectarianism," stood in direct opposition to the principles of Irish republicanism.
Effigies and flags, including those of the First Minister, were also reportedly placed on bonfires in other parts of the city, such as the Creggan and Top of the Hill areas. Police maintained a presence during the events.