A solicitor acting for former Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has written to the PSNI Chief Constable and Belfast City Council to make a formal complaint about an offensive banner that appeared on Council property on Saturday.
A formal complaint has also been made to the PSNI by the Sinn Féin group leader on the council, Cllr Ciarán Beattie.
It's believed the banner was erected by 'flag protestors' who have been holding a vigil outside Belfast City Hall since 2013 after the Council voted to limit the flying of the Union flag to only designated days.
Mr Adams said: “On Saturday a banner was attached to the fencing at the front of the City Hall. The banner included an image of me under the title ‘Tick-Tock’. It also contained abusive and sectarian language underneath. The author/authors claim to have killed one person and clearly signal their intent to kill me. I believe the banner is a breach of the Council’s bye-laws and constitutes a hate crime and a threat to kill."
Mr Adams said he has written to the PSNI Chief Constable asking him “to identify the person or persons responsible for placing this banner in such a public location"; whether enquiries have been made about preserving any CCTV footage which exists; and whether a criminal investigation is underway.
Mr Adams said he has also written to Belfast City Council’s Legal & Civil Services about the display of the banner and has made a formal complaint, asking the Council “to confirm what steps have been taken to establish who was responsible for placing this banner over Council property.
Mr Adams added: "The area in front of City Hall is monitored by CCTV and I have asked 'what steps have been taken to secure the footage and any other available evidence... also confirm that you have or will notify the PSNI and co-operate fully insofar as securing any evidence which would assist in their investigation of a hate crime'.
"I have also asked if security officials at Belfast City Council will be monitoring the situation at future Saturday demonstrations at the entrance to Belfast City Hall to avoid the repetition of any further offence.”
Mr Adams concluded: “There can be no place for hate crime or public threats. The PSNI has a responsibility to confront those responsible for such offences when they appear and to pursue those responsible through the courts.”
