Belfast march for gay reforms

SAME sex marriage campaigners have insisted any deal to restore Stormont power-sharing must include reform of a controversial voting mechanism that has blocked a law change in Northern Ireland.

Thousands of activists marched through Belfast to demand an end to the ban on gay marriage.

Demonstrators made it clear they would not support a revived power-sharing executive if it was not accompanied by a radical overhaul of the petition of concern.

As many as 20,000 people, including former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams, lined the sunny city centre on Saturday, according to Amnesty International.

Chants of “Change is on the way” and “You can’t stop change” rang through the air outside Belfast City Hall.

A majority of MLAs backed the introduction of same sex marriage the last time it was debated on the floor of the Assembly before the institutions collapsed almost 18 months ago, but the use of the petition of concern (PoC) by the Democratic Unionists rendered that irrelevant.

The petition, which is a peace process construct designed to protect minority views in a post-conflict society, means a proposal can only be passed in the Assembly if a majority of unionists and a majority of nationalist MLAs support it, rather than a straightforward majority head count.

The DUP is far from the only Stormont party accused of abusing the mechanism, with rivals also criticised for deploying it on other issues many claim have little to do with protecting minority rights.

The party has also said it is willing to scrap the petition entirely if others, including Sinn Fein, agree.

John O’Doherty, a prominent activist with the Love Equality coalition campaigning for a law change, told the rally any future deal between the DUP and Sinn Fein needed to encompass reform of the PoC.

“It has been almost 18 months since the Northern Ireland Assembly last sat,” he said.

“I know many of our MLAs are here today. We thank them for their support.

“We know that at least 55 out of 90 MLAs now back equal marriage. Yet still they cannot deliver.

“We will not be deterred.”