THE flag of Palestine has been erected at Belfast City Hall after a narrow vote passed in favour at Belfast City Council on Monday night.
The proposal from Sinn Féin was passed by 32 to 28 votes and it was put up just after midnight on Tuesday.
The flag had been due to fly on Saturday but was delayed after Council received legal advice on the issue.
It follows a proposal by Sinn Féin Councillor Ryan Murphy last month to fly the flag to mark the United Nations International Day of Solidarity with the People of Palestine.
The Council last month voted by an overwhelming majority to fly the flag but unionists objected, and then used the controversial 'call-in' procedure to challenge the legitimacy of the decision.
The Monday evening proposal was backed by Sinn Féin, SDLP and the Green Party as well as two decisive votes from People Before Profit Councillor Michael Collins and Independent Councillor Paul McCusker
The Alliance Party backed last month's original proposal but on Monday it pulled back and said it favourite illuminating the City Hall in the Palestinian colours some time in the New Year.
As midnight approached last night, two small groups stood on opposite sides of the road outside the front gates of City Hall. Around 15 loyalists attached a pro-Israel flag to the gates, while across the road a similar number of people chanted support for Palestine as the Palestine flag was raised at around 12.05am. There were shouted exchanges between the two groups as – and for a short time after – the flag went up.
Police maintained a significant but low-key presence around the City Hall perimeter.
Deputy Lord Mayor Paul Doherty was verbally abused by loyalist protestors as he left City Hall by the back entrance.
The protestors discussed coming back the next morning and blocking the 10am opening of the Christmas Market in protest – a plan that was shared online later in the evening – but in the event no protestors appeared and no attempt was made to stop the market from opening.
Sinn Féin Councillor Ryan Murphy welcomed the erection of the flag.
"A small but powerful act, one that says this city, Belfast, stood on the right side of history," he said.
"We stand with the Palestinian people as they face barbaric genocide and occupation."
TUV Councillor Ron McDowell says a further legal challenge at the High Court will take place on Tuesday morning. The hearing is expected to take place around 11am.
"Belfast City Council has disgraced itself. It has trampled on the rights of the minority and shown total disregard for due process," he said.
“Having been frustrated by the law last week in their attempt to fly the Palestinian flag from City Hall, this evening they sought to prevent any legal challenge by voting to raise it from midnight. They know they are acting outside the rules, and they are attempting to outrun the courts.
“The days of unionists quietly accepting such cavalier disregard for their rights or watching the small Jewish community in our city being trampled upon are over.
“My position remains clear and unchanged: the only flag that should fly from City Hall is the national flag of the United Kingdom.
"If members of Council truly cared about human rights in the Middle East, they would recall that in the aftermath of the October 7 massacres, the nationalist and republican Alliance in Belfast blocked any effort to light City Hall in the colours of the Israeli flag."
DUP leader on the Council Sarah Bunting said: “The decision to fly the Palestinian flag from midnight is a scandalous abuse of process, deliberately designed to side-step the procedures put in place to protect minorities in this city.
"This is a deeply divisive issue in Belfast, yet Sinn Fein and those who backed this move have shown no regard for the views of others and have simply railroaded their position through.
"Our small Jewish community will understandably view this as deeply intimidating and as a move that risks stoking antisemitism in our city. It is dangerous, it is cynical, and it must be called out for what it is.
"For decades, Sinn Fein has sought to marginalise and silence those who disagreed with them. If they believe unionists will simply accept this kind of heavy-handed, intolerant behaviour today, they are badly mistaken.”
