Effigies of migrants in a boat have been placed on a loyalist bonfire in Northern Ireland, prompting condemnation and calls for the display to be removed ahead of the pyre being lit.
The boat containing more than a dozen life-sized mannequins wearing life jackets has been erected on top of the bonfire in Moygashel on the outskirts of Dungannon in Co Tyrone.
Below the boat are several placards, one stating “stop the boats” and another “veterans before refugees”.
Sinn Fein Assembly member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone Colm Gildernew branded the display “vile” and “deplorable”.
“This is an absolutely disgusting act, fuelled by sickening racist and far-right attitudes,” he said.
“This is a clear incitement to hatred and must be removed immediately.
“Those who come to our island to make it their home are not the enemy.
“They are our friends, our neighbours, and are welcomed, cherished and valued by the vast majority of people here.
“Political leaders in this area must step up, call for the removal of these offensive materials and make it clear they do not support such vile, deplorable views.”
SDLP leader Claire Hanna also condemned the bonfire.
She said some involved in the bonfire tradition in Northern Ireland appeared motivation by “hate, confrontation and media rows”.
“Intricate effigies of humans beings, for burning. Who is this for?” she posted on X.
However, prominent loyalist activist Jamie Bryson insisted the display was a form of “artistic protest”.
“Every year Moygashel bonfire combines artistic protest with their cultural celebration,” he posted on X.
“Their yearly art has itself become a tradition.
“This year the focus is on the scandal of mass illegal immigration.”
A spokesperson for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said: “Police are aware of an item placed on a bonfire at the Moygashel area. Inquiries are continuing.”
The Moygashel bonfire has become well known in recent years for contentious displays.
Last year, a mock police car was burnt on the top of the bonfire and in 2023 a boat designed to represent the post-Brexit Irish Sea economic border was torched.
Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International’s Northern Ireland director, described the bonfire as a “vile, dehumanising act that fuels hatred and racism”.
He said: “It cruelly mocks the suffering of people who risk everything to flee war, persecution, and hardship in search of safety.
“Beyond being morally reprehensible, it incites hostility toward already marginalised and vulnerable communities.
“Amnesty International urges the authorities to ensure its immediate removal and calls on the PSNI to investigate and hold those responsible to account.
“A clear and unequivocal message must be sent that xenophobia and incitement to hatred have no place in our society.”
The Moygashel tower is one of an estimated 300 bonfires that will be lit in loyalist areas across Northern Ireland on the nights of July 10 and 11.
The traditional fires are lit ahead of the main date in the parading calendar of Protestant loyal orders, the Twelfth Of July.
While most of the bonfires pass off without incident, several have become the focus of contention due to the placing of flags, effigies and election posters on the structures before they are ignited.
Other fires have prompted public safety concerns.
In Belfast, legal action is expected to be launched over a bonfire close to an electricity substation which powers two major hospitals.
Electricity network provider NIE Networks said it has put mitigations in place at the substation in the south of the city to reduce the risk of damage.
It is understood that correspondence has been exchanged between a Belfast legal firm and the PSNI, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), Belfast City Council, the Department for Infrastructure and the Department for Communities.
The PSNI said it “continues to work with our partner agencies, community representatives and landowners to address community safety issues relating to bonfires”.
A spokesperson added: “As there is the potential that judicial proceedings may be initiated, it would be inappropriate to comment any further.”
The Belfast Health Trust has confirmed the substation supplies power to both the Royal Victoria Hospital and Belfast City Hospital (BCH).
The trust said it was continuing to monitor developments in relation to the bonfire near the Donegall Road, and said at this stage there is no requirement to cancel any appointments.
