Michelle O’Neill and Mary Lou McDonald confirm PSNI interviews over Garvaghy Road protest
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald
Monday 19 October 2026
Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald have confirmed they will be interviewed by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) this week in connection with protests on the Garvaghy Road in Portadown.
Both senior Sinn Féin figures have publicly defended their participation in the protests, insisting they were standing in solidarity with residents opposed to an Orange Order march through their community.
Other Sinn Féin elected representatives who received letters from police are also expected to begin attending interviews this week, according to the party.
First Minister confirms police interview
Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill
First Minister Michelle O’Neill confirmed on Monday that she would attend a police interview later this week, describing her involvement in the protest as a matter of principle.
She said:
“I will be interviewed by the PSNI later this week in relation to the peaceful protest in solidarity with Garvaghy Road residents.
“Alongside many others, I was proud to stand with the Garvaghy Road community to protect 28 years of peace and progress.
“I will always stand up for what is right.”
Ms O’Neill also warned against a return to the divisions of the past.
“We have come too far to allow our society to be dragged backwards to the days of domination and supremacy.
“Everyone must be allowed to live their lives free from sectarian intimidation and harassment.
“There is no going back. Not now. Not ever.”
Mary Lou McDonald defends involvement
Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald separately confirmed that she would also be interviewed by the PSNI this week.
She said:
“I will be interviewed by the PSNI this week in relation to the peaceful protest on the Garvaghy Road.
“I stood with the Garvaghy Road residents to protect 28 years of peace and progress, and it was the right thing to do.
“From right across Ireland and the world, people stood and spoke with one voice to say clearly that they would not be dragged back to the past.”
Ms McDonald also reiterated her support for the community, saying:
“The Garvaghy Road community has the right to free from sectarian intimidation and harassment.
“There is no going back.
“Not now. Not ever.”
Further Sinn Féin representatives to attend interviews
A Sinn Féin spokesperson confirmed that other elected representatives who received correspondence from police would begin attending interviews this week.
The spokesperson said:
“Sinn Féin elected representatives who received letters from the police around peaceful protests on the Garvaghy Road will begin to attend interviews this week.
“Sinn Féin stood in solidarity with the residents of the Garvaghy Road to protect 28 years of peace, in the face of provocation and the threat of an unwanted march through their community.”
The party added:
“Standing up for what is right is always the right thing to do.”
The spokesperson also linked the party’s position on the Garvaghy Road to opposition to a proposed march through the Lower Ormeau Road area of Belfast.
“Sinn Féin will continue to stand with the Garvaghy Road residents who should be allowed to live in peace and free from sectarian intimidation, and with the people of the Lower Ormeau Road, who are also facing the threat of an unwanted march through their community.”
Long-running parading dispute
The Garvaghy Road has been at the centre of one of Northern Ireland’s most contentious parading disputes, with nationalist residents historically opposing Orange Order marches through the area.
The dispute became a major flashpoint during the Drumcree confrontations of the 1990s, when disagreements over the route of an annual Orange Order parade led to widespread tensions and disorder.
The latest police interviews follow renewed controversy surrounding parading in the area, with Sinn Féin maintaining that its representatives acted to defend the rights of local residents.
The party has not confirmed the total number of elected representatives who have received police letters, while the precise nature of the matters being examined during the interviews has not been detailed in the supplied statements.
Attending a police interview does not, in itself, establish that an individual has committed an offence.
With both Northern Ireland’s First Minister and the Sinn Féin president now confirming their attendance, attention will turn to the outcome of the PSNI interviews and whether any further action follows.
