Debate contribution: Naomi Long: Intimidation at her Home
Debate contribution by Mr Eóin Tennyson on .
- MLA
- Mr Eóin Tennyson
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 13 October 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Matters of the Day
- Heading
- Naomi Long: Intimidation at her Home
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5175303
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I utterly condemn the disgraceful intimidation that took place at the home of Minister Naomi Long and Councillor Michael Long last week. I also take the opportunity to express my solidarity to Minister Liz Kimmins and Dáire Hughes MP on the foot of the disgraceful attack experienced at their office.
Last week was a shameful week for Northern Ireland. An attack on any politician from this Chamber is an attack on our democratic process. Naomi and Michael have been in public life for over 25 years. They are no shrinking violets. They have never shied away from robust debate, engagement with people from different perspectives and robust public scrutiny. When a mob of over 40 people — some of whom were in masks — gathered at their home in the dark of night, it was not protest or scrutiny. It was intimidation, abuse and harassment. The irony is not lost on me that many of those in that mob who intimidated a woman in her family home, a Minister with a stronger record than anyone in the Chamber on tackling violence against women and girls in our society, would have claimed to be defenders of women and girls. It is also true that the scenes last week have not developed in a vacuum. We have seen the rise of far right misinformation and disinformation, driven by malign elements, over months and years. We also have a responsibility in the Chamber. The words uttered in this Building are not without consequence. We all must now reflect on the tone and tenor of our contributions to public discourse. For our part, Alliance will not be deterred from working for everyone in our community and standing up for the shared, inclusive and united future to which I believe the majority of people in Northern Ireland aspire. My party is no stranger to intimidation and abuse. However, I am conscious that, in all those years of protests, attacks on offices and threats towards public representatives, a mob has never turned up outside the private sanctuary of one of our elected representatives. It is the first time that such an incident has occurred, and we must all resolve that it surely has to be the last.
375 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.10 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- The text criticises or condemns the framing or division (0.87).
- Subject area: Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.16 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.04 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.03 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.10 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.09 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.14 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.10 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing | 0.11 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it (chosen) | 0.87 |
| Adopts it | 0.02 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.43 |
| Sectarianism, hate crime and community relations | 0.34 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.20 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.02 |
| Legacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarism | 0.01 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:27 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
Disagree with this assessment?
Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.