Garrett Hargan

First Minister Michelle O’Neill condemned bonfires in Derry featuring burned images of her, poppy wreaths and signs calling for the killing of police officers and Protestants. Bonfires in the Bogside, Creggan and Top of the Hill caused traffic disruption and raised concerns about damage, intimidation and sectarian hate. The PSNI is treating the material as hate crimes and has begun an evidence-gathering operation, while the Department for Infrastructure removed pallets and other items. Politicians from Sinn Féin, the SDLP, DUP, UUP and Alliance condemned the displays, with calls for consistent enforcement, licensing and advance planning of bonfires.

Two bonfires in Derry, including one built in the middle of Lecky Road in the Bogside, have prompted condemnation, road closures and police intervention. The structures display Unionist and sectarian symbols, including poppy wreaths, flags and an image of an RUC vehicle; a separate flag calling for the killing of police officers and Protestants was removed after widespread criticism. The PSNI has diverted traffic and appealed for the Bogside pyre to be dismantled, while the SDLP called for calm and a consistent response from authorities. Sinn Féin said the displays undermine positive cultural events and attack the community.

Bonfires were built in Derry’s Creggan and Bogside areas, with the structures displaying poppy wreaths, Union and Ulster Banner flags, football-related items, a parachute regiment flag and other symbols. A flag calling for the killing of police officers and Protestants was removed after condemnation from political parties. The Bogside pyre blocked part of Lecky Road, prompting road closures, diversions and a PSNI policing operation, while nearby residents boarded windows against the heat. Sinn Féin, SDLP representatives and unionist politicians condemned the displays or their associated disruption and called for calm, community respect and a consistent response from public agencies.

Fires, burning pallets and a petrol bomb attack on police occurred in Derry’s Bogside after the Department for Infrastructure removed nearly 500 pallets stored beneath the Lecky Road flyover. Authorities said the material posed a significant fire risk because of underground gas mains. The PSNI attributed the unrest to the removal operation and wider interface-related antisocial behaviour, appealed for calm and warned that additional resources would be deployed. First Minister Michelle O’Neill supported the removal, while Bogside Community Support said it undermined months of work to arrange a safer bonfire site. Concerns remain that further bonfire material could be assembled ahead of the traditional August 15 commemorations.

Michelle O’Neill defended attending a commemoration for former IRA hunger striker Thomas McElwee, saying she was sorry for every loss of life but that everyone has the right to remember their dead respectfully. The comments followed criticism from the son of McElwee’s victim, Yvonne Dunlop, and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, who said O’Neill’s attendance could not be justified. O’Neill also defended the expansion of Ulster University’s Magee campus despite 450 job cuts and uncertainty over a sports dome and medical school, blaming budget pressures and calling for fairer Westminster funding. She rejected DUP claims that Sinn Féin was destabilizing Stormont, criticized unionist opposition to Magee’s expansion, supported action against dangerous bonfires, and said she would engage with complaints about an Apprentice Boys parade. She also said there were no plans for Donald Trump to visit Northern Ireland and criticized his administration’s role in Gaza.

Sinn Féin plans to lodge formal complaints with the PSNI and Parades Commission over alleged sectarian songs, a banner honouring UDA member Gary Lynch and bands marching outside the designated route during the Apprentice Boys of Derry parade on 8 August 2026. The SDLP said most parades are conducted respectfully but criticised a minority whose behaviour affects local communities. The PSNI said it had not received reports about the songs, found no criminal offence in the banner display and said the area under Craigavon Bridge was temporarily used for safety and transport reasons. The Parades Commission said any information received would be considered in relation to future notifications.

Police in Derry discharged one attenuating energy projectile during a serious incident on Argyle Street after a 31-year-old man barricaded himself inside a property and threw items from a window. Officers said the man had sustained wounds and that the projectile was used because of concerns for his safety and nearby members of the public. He was brought to safety and arrested on suspicion of serious assault, non-fatal strangulation, possessing an offensive weapon with intent, threats to kill and false imprisonment. He remained in custody while enquiries continued, and the Police Ombudsman was notified.

Sainsbury’s rejected claims by Foyleside Shopping Centre that its planned store at Crescent Link poses a direct threat to the health of Derry’s city centre. The dispute centres on concerns about shifting economic activity away from central retail areas as the retailer prepares to redevelop the former Homebase site.

Stormont leaders were urged to adopt a sustainable funding model for hospices during a visit to Foyle Hospice, where the First and Deputy First Ministers heard concerns about reliance on community fundraising. Hospice leaders emphasised the need for long-term statutory support to meet growing demand for palliative and end-of-life care, referencing previous Assembly recommendations for increased investment and improved services. Recent emergency funding was welcomed, but officials stressed that predictable, recurrent funding is essential to protect patient care and support families across the region.