A Sinn Fein council official in Northern Ireland has resigned after admitting his involvement in an incident in which a portrait of a former DUP mayor was removed and damaged from the wall of Belfast City Hall.
The party, which has been rocked by a number of recent controversies north and south of the Irish border, said it had been reported to the police and that staff had been suspended. It was then announced that they had resigned.
The DUP said the portrait was torn from the wall and the glass in its frame was broken during an event on Saturday night to celebrate the Irish language organization's 20th anniversary. portrait The portrait of Wallace Brown was painted by Jewish artist Israel Zohar.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson said in a social media post: “We don't know whether the motive was sectarian bigotry, anti-Semitism, wanton destruction or a capricious mix of the three…” . [it’s] It's shameful. ”
Police in Northern Ireland said they received a report of a crime against artwork at Belfast City Hall at 4.50pm on Monday.
Four high-profile resignations have been announced in recent weeks, adding to the pressure on the beleaguered party.
In a statement released on Monday night, a Sinn Féin spokesperson said: “Today, 21 October, Sinn Féin staff working in the council have been accused of involvement in the Belfast City Hall portrait incident. I informed them,” he said. It was held on Saturday, October 19th.
“The employee has been immediately suspended and the PSNI has been notified today. The employee has now resigned and is no longer a member of the party.”
The incident comes just days after it was revealed that former Belfast mayor Niall O Donghail quit Sinn Féin last year after the party received complaints that he had sent inappropriate emails to a teenage member. I woke up.
Three weeks ago, two press secretaries also resigned after mentioning another senior spokesperson who admitted to a series of child abuse practices.
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Last week, Brian Stanley, one of the Dail's most respected TDs, also resigned over allegations of serious misconduct, which he said had been dealt with in an internal “kangaroo court”. .
A general election is due to be held in the Republic in November or December, and opposition parties are exploiting Sinn Féin's difficulties to maximize their electoral advantage.
A Sunday Times poll at the weekend showed the party's support had fallen to 16% from a high of 30% two years ago.
