Member's statement: Garvaghy Road Protest: Sinn Féin Ministers
Member's statement by Mr Alan Robinson on .
- MLA
- Mr Alan Robinson
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 28 September 2026
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Garvaghy Road Protest: Sinn Féin Ministers
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5761974
Read the official Assembly record
Text
There are several Members in the House who have broken the law in the last 24 hours. I expected that behaviour from the mouthpieces of the IRA. However, I did not expect it from the SDLP. In my constituency, the Economy Minister, Caoimhe Archibald, called for protests against the Orange Order parade on the Garvaghy Road, which raises serious questions about the standards expected of a senior member of the Northern Ireland Executive. The Orange Order secured a Parades Commission determination permitting the Drumcree parade — a decision that was subsequently upheld by the High Court — yet, rather than respecting the lawful process, we saw Sinn Féin politicians, including senior members of the Executive, openly standing with those who blockaded the road in an attempt to prevent the parade from taking place. The police repeatedly warned those taking part that it was unlawful to block the road. That raises an obvious question for people such as Caoimhe Archibald. Does she believe that the rule of law applies equally to everyone in Northern Ireland? It cannot be acceptable for a Minister for the Economy to demand respect for the law when it suits her interests, while calling for a protest designed to prevent a parade that had received legal authorisation. She stood with individuals such as Sean McGlinchey, who murdered six pensioners in my constituency. What unsavoury company she keeps. There must be one standard. If a lawful decision goes against you, the answer is to challenge it through the courts and the established processes, not to blockade roads and seek to prevent a parade through illegal pressure. The people of Northern Ireland want elected representatives who respect the rule of law, regardless of their background or whether they agree with the decision. They do not want to see them behaving like corner boys, which is what we saw yesterday. The same principle should apply whether the issue is an Orange parade, a nationalist demonstration or any other contentious public procession. Rights cannot be conditional on who is exercising them.
340 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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