{"id":257319,"date":"2025-07-11T22:28:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-11T22:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/257319\/"},"modified":"2025-07-11T22:28:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T22:28:13","slug":"twelfth-northern-ireland-kneecap-effigies-and-irish-language-signage-appear-on-controversial-village-bonfire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/257319\/","title":{"rendered":"Twelfth, Northern Ireland: Kneecap effigies and Irish language signage appear on controversial Village bonfire"},"content":{"rendered":"

Figures appearing to be dressed in the style of rappers Moghla\u00ed Bap, DJ Pr\u00f3va\u00ed and Mo Chara have appeared on the pyre in the Village area.<\/p>\n

Belfast City Council on Wednesday ordered the dismantling of the structure following fears over its proximity to a nearby electrical substation and the presence of loose asbestos at the site.<\/p>\n

However, the bonfire is set to proceed after the PSNI deemed it too dangerous to intervene.<\/p>\n

As well as the effigies, the bonfire contains an Irish tricolour and Palestine flag, as well as a sign penned in Irish which reads: \u201cMaraigh do aiti\u00fail Kneecap\u201d.<\/p>\n

Though grammatically incorrect, the message roughly translates as \u201cKill your local Kneecap\u201d, an apparent reference to comments made by the band about Tory MPs \u2013 for which the group later apologised.<\/p>\n

Another sign reading \u201cSDLP and Alliance do not represent our community\u201d.<\/p>\n

It comes after a poster featuring the west Belfast rappers along with a number of sectarian slogans was attached to an Eleventh Night bonfire in Co Tyrone.<\/p>\n

The banner, which has a photograph of the west Belfast band as its backdrop has been cable tied to the pallets used to construct the bonfire in the Dungannon area.<\/p>\n

It features the heading \u2018Kill your local Kneecap\u2019, with a further line stating \u2018The only good one is a dead one\u2019. In the centre of the poster is the acronym \u2018KAT\u2019, with \u2018Death to Hamas\u2019 and \u2018Destroy all Irish Republicans\u2019 also on the banner.<\/p>\n

July bonfires: A sectarian safety risk, or a harmless tradition? <\/p>\n

\"Listen <\/a> \"Listen <\/a><\/p>\n

At Sandy Row, an effigy wearing a Celtic jersey and a tricolour balaclava has been placed on top of a bonfire alongside two Palestinian flags.<\/p>\n

A posted reading \u2018F**k Kneecap and Palestine\u2019 has been fixed to the structure along with another notice reading \u2018Stop the Boats. Deport Illegals. Stop the Invasion\u2019.<\/p>\n

Earlier this afternoon, MP Paul Maskey described similar sectarian displays on a bonfire in west Belfast as \u201csickening\u201d.<\/p>\n

The offensive banners have appeared on a pyre alongside Irish tricolours in the Highfield area of the city, with police confirming the banners are being treated as \u201cmotivated by hate\u201d.<\/p>\n

The \u2018KAT\u2019 slur has this time been painted onto one of the flags in block capital letters and hung above a sign that reads \u201cstop the boats\u201d.<\/p>\n

Another sign with \u201cATAT\u201d and \u201cHYL\u201d painted on it alongside a crosshair target has also been spotted at the site in addition to a sign that warns \u201cPSNI not welcome in loyalist Highfield\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Kneecap<\/p>\n

Kneecap effigy and writing appears on a bonfire in the Roden Street area of Belfast on July 11th 2025 (Photo by Kevin Scott)<\/p>\n

Controversial \u2018migrant boat\u2019 bonfire is lit in Moygashel <\/p>\n

\u201cSuch open and sickening displays of sectarian and racist hatred have absolutely no place in our society,\u201d said Mr Maskey.<\/p>\n

“Political unionism must speak out and demand the removal of these offensive materials.<\/p>\n

\u201cReal leadership is needed, although it has been sorely lacking in these communities for some time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is clearly a hate crime, and I have reported it to the PSNI.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A PSNI spokesperson said: \u201cPolice have received reports regarding offensive signage placed on a bonfire in the Highfield area and in the Eastvale area of Dungannon.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnquiries into these matters, which are being treated as being motivated by hate, are ongoing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Further items, including a Palestinian flag and a notice reading \u2018Taigs out\u2019 have also been placed on a bonfire in the Waterside area of Londonderry, alongside a banner proclaiming solidarity between Ireland and Palestine.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, a drone carrying an Irish tricolour has been spotted flying over the Shankill Road as the community prepare to light their bonfire.<\/p>\n

Footage on social media appeared to show the drone performing laps of the area.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Figures appearing to be dressed in the style of rappers Moghla\u00ed Bap, DJ Pr\u00f3va\u00ed and Mo Chara have…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":257320,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[2378,748,393,4884,12,6570,1144,712,94225,16,15,1764,6110],"class_list":{"0":"post-257319","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-belfast","9":"tag-britain","10":"tag-england","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-news","13":"tag-north-belfast-news","14":"tag-northern-ireland","15":"tag-scotland","16":"tag-the-twelfth","17":"tag-uk","18":"tag-united-kingdom","19":"tag-wales","20":"tag-west-belfast-news"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114836966044172773","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=257319"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257319\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/257320"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=257319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=257319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=257319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}