DUP councillor 'wants no part of New Ireland' after abuse from republicans on social media

Lisburn South Alderman Paul Porter was speaking after he posted a photo of himself and his son after erecting their Union Flag for the July celebrations.

“It is just a family tradition that we have always put our Union Flag up at the start of July for the month,” he told the News Letter.

“These are just sick individuals who feel it is appropriate to make vile comments.”

His party colleague, Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart, has persistently defied personal abuse from republicans throughout her career in politics, often welcoming support from across the political spectrum on the matter.

Mr Porter said: “I post many photos regularly on social media but this was the first one that ever got really nasty comments. It is just terrible to be honest.

“I think it is all down to the fact that there is a flag in the photo – the Protestant tradition of flying a flag in July – that is the only photo that prompted the abuse.”

He deleted around 60 comments which he said came from republicans.

“I went onto their profiles and the vast majority had republican posts. There is no question about where it was coming from.”

But he did not let the issue go, issuing a sharp response on social media.

“What I told them was that if this is the agenda that we should expect from this 'New Ireland' and how welcoming it is going to be for everyone, well then I want no part of it.

“And all over a legitimate photograph celebrating the legitimate history and culture of my community.”

Ms Lockhart regularly reports personal abuse on social media, which she said only started when she began a political career.

In 2023 she tweeted: “Predictably, when I stand up for my community, faceless trolls use it as their daily reason to abuse me. Not on my politics, which they may not agree with, but on their perception of how I look. When you go down that route, you’ve lost your argument, and I will still be here.”

The scale of the abuse led Andersonstown News columnist @Squinter to tweet: “I will not be replying to the tweets of @carlalockhart again because the abuse she receives on the back of it from so-called progressives and republicans is revolting and makes me feel guilty and ashamed. If you recognise yourself here please unfollow.”

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mr Porter added: “I am a big supporter of free speech and I aim to be open and transparent as an elected representative, but as a result of this total nasty and vicious interaction I have been encouraged by loved ones to change my Facebook security settings.

“At the end of the day I have had to protect my family.

“I use social media for a lot of things, but I don’t use it to allow my family to be abused.

“Councillors are the lowest in the political food chain and they are the ones who are most accessible for abuse.

“There is a line that was crossed and it has now made me have to rethink how I interact with people on Facebook, which is sad.

“I believe in free speech, but it has to be accountable.

“Many of these attackers are hiding behind fake accounts and that’s not free speech, that’s a vehicle to allow abusive speech.”