Anti-Immigration Banner Displayed on Belfast Bonfire
A large banner with anti-immigration messages has been hung from a bonfire located next to a playground in north Belfast. The banner, prominently displayed on a bonfire on Shore Crescent, features imagery including small boats, political party logos, and masked men holding knives. It also depicts a herd of sheep walking through a gate toward the group of masked men.
The banner includes representations of Northern Ireland political parties Sinn Féin, SDLP, Alliance Party, and People Before Profit. Several other anti-immigration slogans and images have been reported at various bonfire sites across Belfast.
The banner bears the message:
Open gates open borders open season. Your sheep their feast.
Anti-Islamic Graffiti on Boarding in Carrickfergus
In Carrickfergus, boarding erected to protect houses from the heat of an upcoming bonfire has been defaced with anti-Islamic graffiti. The bonfire is set to be lit in the Glenfield estate, an area near homes that have been boarded up as a precautionary measure ahead of the event.
Graffiti including the phrase "Islam is heathen" was observed on the boarding near the site on Saturday night.
Anti-Islamic Messages Near O'Neill Road Bonfire
Near the O'Neill Road bonfire in north Belfast, various flags and handmade signs have been attached to the bonfire structure. Some of the signs displayed messages such as "Islamic terror not wanted here" and "PSNI Islam lovers," with crosshairs drawn alongside.
Context of Bonfires in Northern Ireland
Bonfires are traditionally lit annually in some unionist areas across Northern Ireland in July, marking the Twelfth of July, which is the main date in the parading season. Most bonfires are lit on the evening of 11 July, known as the Eleventh Night.
The Twelfth of July commemorates the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, when Protestant King William III defeated Catholic King James II.
