Griffin tweet probed after NI visit

Published Sunday, 30 September 2012

Police in Northern Ireland are investigating after BNP leader Nick Griffin used a derogatory term about Catholics on Twitter, after attending the Ulster Covenant event at Stormont in Belfast.

BNP leader Nick Griffin attended the Ulster Covenant event at Stormont (© Getty)

Mr Griffin used the offensive term in a tweet he published on Saturday.

SDLP Belfast City Councillor Nichola Mallon said she lodged a formal complaint with the PSNI after regarding the tweet as "incitement to hatred".

"The complaint I have lodged cites Part III of the Public Order (Northern Ireland) Order 1987, which deals with actions or words which stir up hatred or fear," she explained on Sunday.

Ms Mallon said the tweet by the MEP for North West England was inflammatory and sectarian.

"By using the language he used, he has also proven himself unfit for elected office and the authorities at the European Parliament should be taking advice on what action to take against him," she said.

Mr Griffin said he sent the tweet, which is still visible on his timeline, after receiving abusive messages from republicans.

Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster, Griffin said he would not be withdrawing his remark which was not aimed at Catholics in general.

In a statement a PSNI spokeswoman said: "Police have received a complaint regarding the matter and are investigating."

Tens of thousands of people took part in a parade through Belfast to mark the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Ulster Covenant.

The day culminated in a huge cultural festival staged in the grounds of Stormont to commemorate the 1912 proclamation against plans for Home Rule in Ireland.

A spokesman for the Orange Order said the event was open to the public and Mr Griffin was not their guest.

Comments

19 Comments

greg in mid-ulster wrote (232 days ago):

Griffin is to be commended for refusing to bow to the dictats of political correctness. In a society where the PUL community is the target of the PC Brigade, its novel to hear someone actually answering back!

Stickyblade in Belfast wrote (233 days ago):

For once someone give a good tap on both sides the community, the 1st time thats happened, yet only one side is yappin! Northern Irelands a total joke anyway. Who really cares, its just one persons opinion!

Abe in Belfast wrote (234 days ago):

Racist moron in Being a Racist Moron Shocker!!

Tomc in Belfast wrote (234 days ago):

Not sure how this would pan out. Consider you put something up in your living room with the windows open, not in the window but on a wall - could it be provocative conduct if a person looks in and is offended by what's there? Somehow I feel the same about social media. I'm not a fan of Nick Griffiths, however for me to read something on his twitter page, i'd have to purposefully look. Therefore up to the point that i would look at something on there and be offended, I'd have to go out of my way to do so. Public order legislation relates to something done in public or in such a way that Joe Public can easily see it, is offensive, and therefore provocative. While Nick Griffiths twitter page could be accessed by the public, the public have to go out of their way to see it. As such the public order legislation, in my opinion, doesn't quite fit this one.

al in ulster wrote (235 days ago):

thought a fenian was an irish warrior whats the problem now?

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