Michelle O’Neill has been the victim of online threats after the Sinn Féin vice-president spoke of “the end days of partition” at a republican commemoration.
The posts appeared in a Facebook called ‘United Ulsterman Group’.
They were published under a posting of a newspaper article about Ms O’Neill speaking at a commemoration in Coalisland, Co Tyrone on Saturday.
One person commented: “Never a sniper about when you need one.”
In response, another person posted an image of two bullets.
The private Facebook group, which contains 11.4k members, describes itself as: “Ulster people resisting any form of a so called United Ireland by ‘using all means which may be found necessary”.”
The comments come after Ms O’Neill told a crowd at the republican plot in Coalisland that “we are living in the end days of partition”.
During the speech she honoured “the sacrifices that were made by those during Easter week of 1916” as well as “every generation before and since”.
“Everybody has a right to respectfully remember their dead,” she added.
Stating that republicans were witnessing “a pivotal moment in history” and that a border poll should be held by the end of the decade, she also said: “We are living in the end days of partition.”
A Sinn Féin spokesperson condemned the postings as “intolerance” and “disrespect”.
“All online abuse and threats are despicable and must be stamped out,” they said.
“There can be no place for this abhorrent behaviour in our society.
“Michelle O’Neill will not allow these threats to deter her from the important work she is doing in moving our society beyond this type of intolerance and disrespect.”
A PSNI spokeperson said: “We do not discuss the security of individuals and no inference should be drawn from this, however we never ignore anything which may put an individual at risk.”
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