PSNI remove banner in play park hate incident

Police have removed a banner which had been fastened to the fence of a play park in Moygashel in County Tyrone.

It was put up on 29 May and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) previously said it was being treated as a hate incident.

In a statement on Friday the PSNI said the banner had been taken down that "the placing of the banner is now being investigated as a criminal offence".

The banner has been described by a local councillor as depicting on one side "a typical play park picture" and on the other "a visual of bearded men that were obviously meant to be Muslims, behind a barrier".

Speaking to The Nolan Show Mid Ulster SDLP Councillor Malachy Quinn said the banner had "racist undertones" and wasn't something "you might have expected to see... in 2026 Dungannon."

"It's the latest in a long string of these unsavoury visuals that have popped up in the area over the last couple of years.

"You'll remember the bonfire from last year or the sign that said 'No illegal immigrants for the next mile," he added.

Quinn said the display was designed "to send out an intimidating message to people who are a different skin colour or a different faith, saying they aren't welcome in the area."

"Dungannon is one of the biggest multicultural towns you will find in the North," said Quinn, "and to have a message displayed like that for almost a week is unacceptable".

While he acknowledged the legal intricacies the police had to establish before removing the banner, Quinn maintained "police do need to investigate quicker... because it's not just about the banner that's been put up, it's about the fear that it's putting into local people".

Quinn said, while he appreciates that freedom of speech is a right that needs to be protected, he believes any message that becomes hate speech "has to be challenged right away".

Appealing to those who may feel targeted by the banner, Quinn urged them "not to take heed of a small bunch of neanderthals who are putting messages like this up".

He said those who erected the sign were not representative for the whole community, and claimed "I know people in Moygashel" who are "not happy with that sign".

Sinn Féin assembly member Colm Gildernew welcomed the removal of the banner, and said it "was erected solely to sow hate and division in our community".

"There is no place in our society for racism, and it is the responsibility of all political representatives and community leaders to stand against hate and racism.

"Those who erected this vile banner have nothing to offer our society," he added.