Unionists praise SDLP councillors for removing AK47 IRA sign

The sign, which featured an image of an AK47 above the letters ‘IRA’, was removed by SDLP councillors Donal Lyons and Tim Attwood on Wednesday.

Tweeting a picture of the sign in a bin, Mr Lyons wrote: “No excuses, no justification, no place for paramilitary trappings in our city.

“Into the dustbin of history you have gone and in the dustbin of history you should remain.”

The move has received praise from unionist councillors, with the DUP’s Brian Kingston saying he was pleased the “menacing” image had been removed.

He told the News Letter: “To give credit where it is due, I commend those who intervened to have this sign removed, and I trust that it will not reappear.

“The RVH is a major hospital used by people from all communities and no-one should feel intimidated entering or leaving it.

“If the IRA has gone away, as Sinn Fein tell us it has, then it should be confined to history and not celebrated, out of respect for its many victims and their families.”

Ulster Unionist councillor David Browne also welcomed the move, stating: “Fair play to them for taking it upon themselves to do this.

“It is just a shame that the people who put the sign up in the first place didn’t have the decency to take it back down themselves, knowing the level of offence it would cause to a lot of people who use that hospital.”

A PSNI spokesperson said police had not received any complaints in relation to the sign.