Michelle O'Neill invited for PSNI interview over Garvaghy Road protest

First Minister Michelle O'Neill has received a letter from the PSNI inviting her to a police interview over her participation in recent protests on the Garvaghy Road.

The Sinn Féin vice-president confirmed the police invitation on Friday afternoon, following a statement from the Police Service of Northern Ireland on Thursday that officers had begun contacting people "reasonably suspected" of committing offences during the demonstrations.

The protests took place at the end of last month, blocking an attempted march by the Orange Order. The march was part of the decades-long Drumcree parading dispute, which remains one of the most sensitive sectarian flashpoints in Northern Ireland.

In a statement, O'Neill confirmed she would comply with the police. "I can confirm I have received a letter inviting me for a police interview in relation to a peaceful protest on the Garvaghy Road. I will co-operate with the investigation," she said.

She went on to defend her actions, framing her presence as a matter of standing up for the local community. "For the last two weeks, I have stood in solidarity with the Garvaghy Road residents as attempts were made to force an unwanted Orange march through their community," she said, adding that residents should be "allowed to live in peace and free from sectarian intimidation."

Other senior Sinn Féin politicians have also been swept up in the investigation. Assembly member Deirdre Hargey confirmed she had received a similar letter from the PSNI and was seeking legal advice.

Before the letters were confirmed, Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald said the party would co-operate in every way it could, but remained entirely comfortable with its politicians' decision to stand with the residents.

The police intervention follows intense pressure from unionist politicians, who demanded action against republican leaders. They argued that Sinn Féin's participation in an unnotified counter-protest breached parading laws and that the First Minister should not be seen as above the law.

O'Neill has previously shrugged off these criticisms with a firm defence of civil disobedience. "When the law is wrong, I will stand firmly against it," she said recently, adding on Friday: "Because it is always right to stand up for what is right. And there can be no going back."

The PSNI has not publicly identified any of the individuals it plans to interview, saying only that the letters are part of an ongoing investigation into the events of late last month.