[https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/police-probing-photo-that-appears-to-show-person-dressed-as-hamas-terrorist-in-derry/a91129012.html](https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/police-probing-photo-that-appears-to-show-person-dressed-as-hamas-terrorist-in-derry/a91129012.html)
Adrian RutherfordToday at 11:27
Police are investigating a photograph allegedly showing a person dressed as a Hamas terrorist in Londonderry.
The image is circulating widely on social media.
Some have suggested it is linked to Halloween celebrations in the city in recent days.
The [PSNI](https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/tag/police-service-of-northern-ireland) said it is aware of the photograph and is working to establish its authenticity.
Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK.
The PSNI said the incident may constitute a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act.
The photograph appears to be taken in the Guildhall Square area of Derry.
The person is dressed in combat gear, which has a Palestinian flag badge.
A senior officer said he understood “fully the offence this will cause” given events in the Middle East.
Area Commander of Derry City & Strabane Chief Superintendent Nigel Goddard said: “We are aware of an image posted on social media, and we are working to establish if this is genuine and, if so, when this person was pictured.
“No officer who was on duty in the city centre this week observed this person.
“We understand fully the offence this will cause, and how inappropriate this image is given the events in the Middle East right now. This may also constitute a criminal offence under Section 13 of The Terrorism Act.”
Police have appealed for help in identifying the person.
Mr Goddard added: “From the image that we have right now, this will clearly be extremely difficult to identify the person pictured.
“Therefore, we would ask anyone who saw this person, can assist in identifying this person, or who may have captured this person on their mobile phone to call us on 101. We would also ask the person themselves to contact us to clear this matter up.”
DUP MLA Gary Middleton said he was shocked by the image.
The Foyle representative said: “For anyone to make light of Hamas terrorism in such a way is beyond belief.
“For someone to walk around the city centre like this in broad daylight also raises questions about the level of stewarding and police presence in the area at the time.
“Indeed, such is the grotesque nature, it is hard to believe the photograph is authentic. It is important the authenticity of the photograph is determined, and a full investigation carried out if the photo is real.
“To dress in such a way is the glorification and celebration of a terrorist organisation.”
Mr Middleton said there were incidents during the Halloween parade of participants displaying Palestinian flags.
“The Halloween celebrations in the city are supposed to be non-political but some people appear to have gone out of their way to cause controversy,” he added.
“I have raised this with council officers and will be requesting further information as to what action is being taken by the organisers against those involved.”
Former First Minister Arlene Foster has criticised the Hamas costume photograph.
She posted on X, formerly Twitter: “A Halloween festival with kids milling about and someone decides to dress up as a Hamas terrorist. Glorifying and normalising terrorism has consequences – none of them good.”
Jon Burrows, a former PSNI superintendent, said: “It’s an offence under Section 13 (of the) Terrorism Act 2000 to wear clothing that creates a suspicion you support a proscribed organisation – Hamas is proscribed.
“We cannot be a society that tolerates and normalises this behaviour, whatever our politics.”
The October 7 Hamas attacks killed 1,400 people in Israel and saw 229 people taken hostage.
More than 8,300 people in Gaza have been killed since Israel’s retaliatory bombing began, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Israeli troops and tanks pushed deeper into northern and central Gaza on Monday, as Tel Aviv expanded its ground offensive after pounding the territory with air strikes.
by NetworkGlittering756
15 comments
Boys regularly overdosing 2 streets over from me and they’re investigating a fucking Halloween costume. PSNI in Derry are a joke.
It’s fucking halloween.
Wise up.
That’s why when you are calling 999 about anything police related, always make sure to end the call with “and they said something offensive”
Cops don’t give a fuck if your house is being broken into or if you are being robbed, but if something might cause them a bit of a backlash on twitter they’ll have half the station out.
Wonder what would of happened if they were
an IDF soldier? Would they of been celebrated with selfies from the PSNI?
I’m looking forward to Harry Hewitt (he of the Nazi-loving Windsors) getting a knock from the legacy investigations unit in Britain
Hamas like? Shocking judgement. Obviously not the brightest.
How about you go and investigate the thousands of actual terrorists in the UDA and UVF?????
You know, the same ones you fucking negotiated with on Brexit????
Or is that too scary for you???
We live in a society with armed active sectarian terrorists painted across loyalist estates!!!
The terrorists responsible for the multiple arsons of the Belfast Multicultural Association were never arrested.
Housing intimidation is so common in its on the fucking housing points allocation system!
Or you can grandstand and investigate an off-putting Halloween costume.
Our society is a bloody joke.
I don’t believe that police time should be wasted on this.
However this is just complete piss poor taste after what has been going on. Its not funny, it’s just pathetic.
Topical at least
The amount of al qaeda outfits or Teenagers dressed as paramilitaries thinking it funny in the 2000s police not wanting to get involved
It’s not a KKK or nazi costume but because it’s trendy for conservative thinkers to stand for the established values and call out ‘Arab terrorists’ they’re looking into it..
Can the PSNI charge themselves with wasting their own time ?
it’s the ghost of Willie Frazier!
Change the flags on the costume and he doesn’t look any different to the Brits who strolled around Ireland until the early 2000s.
There is only one rule around Halloween in Derry. Nothing is out of bounds for costume ideas. The investigation will be short and for show only. They don’t have a choice once the complaint is made. No fucks will be given.
Bet he isn’t even Muslim or Arab, probably just a flegs incident