Debate contribution: Garvaghy Road: Potential Prosecutions
Debate contribution by Mrs Naomi Long on .
- MLA
- Mrs Naomi Long
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 28 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Garvaghy Road: Potential Prosecutions
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5762188
Read the official Assembly record
Text
First, I appreciate the Member's withdrawing his comment, because the only link between the two was the cost of mutual aid. To be absolutely clear, that was the only link. I was asked a question about cost, and my answer was about cost. Peaceful assembly is an important human right, but "peaceful" assembly does not equate to "lawful" assembly. Lawful assembly in this place is governed by a separate set of rules that were designed so that the police would not continually be piggy in the middle between groups of people who wanted to protest and exercise their right to do so without having any regard to their responsibilities to wider society. That is the genesis of the Parades Commission. That law must be upheld and respected. Yes, people have a right to protest lawfully and peacefully, but I will not switch course and change my opinions. I said it to unionists when they defended illegal protests on the basis that they were peaceful, and I say it now to nationalists who are defending illegal protests on the basis that they are peaceful. It is not the same to be peaceful as it is to be lawful. It is better than being violent, but it is not the same.
209 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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