DUP says Sinn Féin’s silence ‘deafening’ over bonfire

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has accused Sinn Féin of a “deafening” silence over plans for a republican bonfire on private land in Londonderry, which has stalled work on a £11m development.

Last week, a man needed hospital treatment after he fell from the bonfire which is under construction at Meenan Square in the Bogside.

The site is managed by Apex Housing, which has had to delay work on a project because it cannot find a contractor willing to remove the bonfire materials.

Assembly member Gary Middleton said there was a “void of political leadership from Sinn Féin in the Bogside” over the bonfire, which has sparked controversy in recent years. Sinn Féin has been asked for comment.

Last year, police said they were treating the display of flags and banners – including union flags, a King Charles coronation flag and the flag of Israel – on the bonfire in the Bogside as a hate crime.

In 2022, police investigated shots being fired near the site and in 2021 posters placed on the bonfire referenced former Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Simon Byrne and another the murder of Catholic police officer Ronan Kerr.

“This bonfire has been a source of serious concern for some time, causing disruption, raising safety fears and delaying an £11 million publicly-funded redevelopment project,” Middleton said.

“That investment is being stalled because not a single contractor is willing to go near the site to remove materials, citing threats and safety risks.

“It is time they [Sinn Féin] stepped up and made clear this situation is unacceptable.”

Last Wednesday evening, a man was seriously hurt after falling from the bonfire.

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) confirmed that a man was taken to hospital.

The injured man was treated for undisclosed injuries at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry, before being transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.

Apex Housing has declined to comment but previously said it was continuing to re-secure boundary fencing and gates following repeated incidents of “forced entry” at the site.

The £11m development will include social housing, community services, retail, commercial and office space.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said it was committed to working with partners, including local councils and community representatives, to address community safety issues linked to bonfires.

Derry City and Strabane District Council said, while it does not authorise or regulate bonfires, it does engage with a wide range of partners to minimise the impact on communities.

A spokesperson said it would continue to liaise with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) regarding the storage and disposal of tyres and other materials which may be placed on bonfires.

Bonfires on 15 August are traditional in some nationalist parts of Northern Ireland to mark the Catholic Feast of the Assumption.

Some bonfires are also lit in August to commemorate the introduction of internment without trial of republican suspects during the Troubles, which was introduced by the UK Government in 1971.