Dissident republicans threaten to shoot artist over Palestinian solidarity mural in west Belfast | BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

Danny Devenny threatened by dissident republicans over a Palestinian mural on Belfast’s International Wall

Allison Morris

Today at 16:25

Dissident republicans have threatened to shoot an artist over a Palestinian solidarity mural on Belfast’s International Wall.

Ex-prisoner-turned-muralist Danny Devenny has been painting political art on the landmark in west Belfast for more than 20 years.

He said he was visited this week at home by two men who introduced themselves as members of a dissident group and who threatened they would shoot him if he did not return an Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association (IRPWA) board to the wall.

Mr Devenny said the board had been removed temporarily to be replaced with a mural depicting scenes from Gaza, where more than 35,000 people have died since October last year.

The IRPWA looks after New IRA prisoners and their families.

Earlier this year, the majority of the International Wall, which is visited by thousands of tourists every year, was dedicated to the ongoing conflict in Palestine.

“I believed there was an agreement to borrow a section of the wall for a project dedicated to the Palestinian people and their ongoing struggle,” said Mr Devenny.

“Art as a form of political expression has been used around the world in order to break media censorship and give people a voice.

“I believed this was a cause that united republicans, not divided them.

“It seems stupid to be standing here talking about a death threat over a painting on a wall.

“Had they just sat down and spoken with myself and the other artists we could have explained our plans. Instead, they have threatened me.

“They made it clear to me that they were from a dissident republican organisation and that this wasn’t an idle threat.

“Threatening to shoot me over a painting on a wall — how ludicrous is that?”

Mr Devenny, who was interned in the Maze Prison along with republican hunger striker Bobby Sands, said the threat had upset his family.

“I’d rather be standing here speaking to the media about the meaning behind the paintings on the wall,” he said.

“Bobby Sands said, ‘The men of art have lost their heart.’ But I was looking at the art by Palestinians and they were painting from the heart, and that was the inspiration behind changing the wall.”

Outgoing West Belfast MP Paul Maskey condemned the threat and said he was standing in solidarity with Mr Devenny.

“I would like to show my support for Danny and the other international muralists who have contributed to this wall for many years,” he said.

“This wall is the living history of conflicts around the world and Danny has been instrumental to that.

“The people who called to Danny’s house should be ashamed of themselves. Artists should be free to express themselves.”

A post on the IRPWA Facebook page stated: “Today, Wednesday 19th June, the IRPWA in Belfast were notified that a large IRPWA board on Belfast’s International Wall had been removed.

“The IRPWA would never give permission for anything that highlights republican political prisoners to be removed.

“Whoever is playing games is playing with fire. We want to state publicly — do not touch IRPWA boarding again.”