Judge hears legal challenge over flying of Palestine flag on Belfast City Hall
A judge has heard a legal challenge against a decision to fly the flag of Palestine on Belfast City Hall.
The flag was raised after midnight on Tuesday after councillors voted for the move during a meeting on Monday evening.
The decision prompted a legal challenge by unionists, with judge Mr Justice Michael Humphreys hearing arguments in Belfast High Court on Tuesday on a bid to have the flag taken down pending a fuller hearing on whether the council followed correct procedures.
Justice Humphreys is due to deliver judgment on the interim relief application on Tuesday afternoon.
A Sinn Fein motion to raise the flag was passed by 32 votes to 28 on Monday evening.
An Alliance Party amendment that proposed illuminating the City Hall in the colours of Palestine in January instead of raising the flag was earlier defeated by 49 votes to 11.
The council voted by a larger majority last month to fly the flag on City Hall on November 29 to mark the UN international day of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
However, that did not occur after the council received legal advice following a unionist move to initiate a call-in mechanism for the proposal to be reconsidered.
A special meeting of the council was held on Monday to discuss the matter again.
While Sinn Fein welcomed the outcome of the vote, unionists expressed anger.
In a statement on Monday evening, Sinn Fein said: "In the face of Israel's barbaric and inhumane genocide, we must continue to do all we can to show solidarity with the besieged people of Gaza ."
The DUP group leader on the council, Sarah Bunting , said the attempt to raise the flag was a "scandalous abuse of process".
"This is a deeply divisive issue in Belfast , yet Sinn Fein and those who backed this move have shown no regard for the views of others and have simply railroaded their position through," she said.
"Our small Jewish community will understandably view this as deeply intimidating and as a move that risks stoking antisemitism in our city.
"It is dangerous, it is cynical, and it must be called out for what it is."
TUV councillor Ron McDowell said the council had "disgraced itself".
"Every means at our disposal will be deployed to oppose this," he added.