Banner accusing Sinn Féin of being “traitors” displayed at Michelle O’Neill’s office

A banner labeling Sinn Féin as “traitors” was displayed at the office of Michelle O’Neill, the party’s deputy leader. This banner was affixed to the office shutters following O’Neill’s action of placing a laurel wreath at the Cenotaph at Belfast City Hall on Sunday, marking her as the first senior Sinn Féin representative to participate in an official Remembrance ceremony. The banner, erected at the office O’Neill shares with Mid Ulster MP Cathal Mallaghan in Cookstown, County Tyrone, displayed the word “traitors” accompanied by bloody handprints and a poppy. Police have stated that the sign is being investigated as a “hate-motivated incident”. When questioned about the sign, O’Neill commented that it was “difficult” to receive criticism regarding her choice to attend the commemoration, but emphasized her role. She stated, “I’ve committed to being a first minister for all and I will live up to that at every turn.” O’Neill added, “I understand some people – particularly republicans – have difficulties with me attending, they’re entitled to express their views, however I have a role to play.” She defended her presence at the event, asserting its importance. O’Neill also mentioned that she would be unable to attend an Armistice Day event at Stormont later on Monday, but confirmed that other Sinn Féin politicians would participate. A spokesperson for the Police Service of Northern Ireland issued a statement confirming their awareness of a sign located on a building on Fairhill Road. The incident report is being handled as a hate-motivated incident.” Police further stated, “Police are especially keen to hear from anyone who noticed suspicious behaviour – specifically a person dressed in black who was observed in the area.” O’Neill had encountered some criticism prior to her attendance at the event. A letter published in the Irish News, signed by over 100 relatives of Troubles victims from the republican community in County Tyrone, criticized her decision. The letter conveyed that they felt “deeply hurt, frustrated and angry”. “Of course it is difficult to hear that, particularly from people who I’ve known all of my life, but I also absolutely accept they are entitled to feel how they feel, particularly if they have lost a loved one,” O’Neill informed reporters on Monday. Concurrently, a protester at the Cenotaph displayed a banner that referenced IRA violence. In a social media post preceding the ceremony, O’Neill declared her “committed to representing everyone equally”. She affirmed, “Through my words and actions, I will honour that commitment.” “We each have our own identity, experiences, and perspectives.” “As an Irish republican who believes in a united Ireland, I have my own perspective also.” “As we move towards a better future I am committed as first minister to moving beyond old limits and building bridges.” On the wreath she laid, O’Neill inscribed the message: “Today I remember all lives lost in the horror of war and conflict – past and present.” Over two decades have elapsed since Alex Maskey became the first Sinn Féin lord mayor to honor the war dead at the Cenotaph. On 1 July 2002, he placed a laurel wreath at the monument two hours before the primary council ceremony marking the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. Maskey characterized his action as a “major step for republicans and nationalists on this island”. He did not participate in the main ceremony that year, declining to be involved in what he termed a “military commemoration” of the World War One battle. Subsequently, Sinn Féin politicians have consistently opted not to attend Cenotaph wreath-laying ceremonies in any official role. Over the intervening years, other pioneering actions and numerous gestures have occurred in an effort to foster reconciliation and positive relations. In 2016, Martin McGuinness journeyed to France and Belgium on a two-day visit to World War One battlefields. He placed wreaths at the locations where the Somme and the Battle of Messines had occurred a century prior. In July 2022, O’Neill laid a laurel wreath at the Belfast Cenotaph to observe the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. Nevertheless, she chose not to elaborate on her reasons for not attending the broader Somme commemoration event at the same location that year.