Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Plan to light up City Hall gets blocked
A LAST-MINUTE plan to light up Belfast City Hall last night to mark the centenary was halted after Sinn Fein “called in” the decision.
It was due to be illuminated yesterday evening after an unforeseen dates clash prevented it joining a Uk-wide lighting up of civic buildings the following night.
Belfast City Hall is being lit in rainbow colours tonight to mark 40 years since a landmark court ruling that led to the decriminalisation of homosexuality here.
On the same night across the UK, buildings are being lit in blue and green under the UK government’s official centenary programme of events.
But the eleventh-hour move to light up Belfast
City Hall for the centenary was challenged by Sinn
Fein through Belfast City
Council’s “call-in” procedure.
This can be requested if
15% of councillors believe a decision was not properly reached or would adversely affect a section of the community.
A lawyer is then asked to examine the decision to help determine whether it should be reconsidered.
A council spokeswoman said: “The decision to illuminate City Hall was subject to a call-in this morning.
“An initial legal opinion indicates the call-in has merit. As a result of this the illuminate will not be proceeding.”
DUP councillor Brian Kingston, the party’s group leader on the council, criticised the move by Sinn Fein.
He said: “Once again Sinn Fein, who like to lecture others about tolerance and respect, show no respect for the unionist identity nor the democratic wishes of the council or the people of Northern Ireland.
“Lighting City Hall for the centenary was supported by a majority of the city council and the DUP will be raising this matter at council committee tomorrow morning.”
Mr Kingston said his party would “continue to push” for the lighting up of City Hall “on the nearest possible date” to mark the centenary.
The row comes after it emerged Sinn Fein had blocked Stormont’s Parliament Buildings from joining the Uk-wide lighting up of civic buildings.
Parliament Buildings will not be illuminated on Friday as no consensus was reached among
MLAS from the five main parties who sit on the Assembly Commission.
It is understood Sinn Fein was the only party on the Assembly Commission to oppose the proposal.
TUV leader Jim Allister described the vetoing as “shameful” and “oppressive”.
He said: “Having blocked the erection of a stone and the planting of a rose bush to mark the centenary of the formation of the state they jointly govern, Sinn Fein have now blocked even the lighting of Stormont for a single night.
“This but a small snapshot of the oppression which would await unionists if they were ever so foolish as to agree to all-ireland.”
Sinn Fein councillor Ciaran Beattie, the party’s group leader, claimed the plan to illuminate City Hall was “political and triumphalist”.
He argued it “disregarded” council procedures and was not included in its decade of centenaries programme previously agreed by parties.