Michelle O’Neill calls on Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant to intervene in Drumcree parade dispute

Speaking on the Garvaghy Road she said: “We’re meeting families like that who feel collectively traumatised, who feel individually traumatised. Does anybody think that this is a good idea?

“No right-minded person would make this decision. I still do not know the answer to this question – why, after 28 years of a determination to block a march down this road, that the Parades Commission thought that this was the right idea today to bring this mess back onto this community?

“I commend this community. We stand with this community, and we will continue to stand with this community.”

She added: “I have spoken directly to the Secretary of State.

“We’ve spoken to Irish government, British government, to the Chief Constable, but I’ve made it very clear that they must intervene.”

Ms O’Neill said the reignition of the Drumcree dispute “brings into question how this whole peace process works”.

Some in the crowd blocking the Garvaghy Road on Sunday morning could be heard shouting “bring Stormont down”.

Asked on if she thought Stormont could collapse over the Drumcree dispute, the First Minister said: “I think that this brings into question how this whole peace process works.

“The progress of the last 28 years have been brought into question by the actions of the Orange Order and those within political unionism that want to drag us backwards, and I think that brings into question – you heard it here today.

“You heard it about the people’s view of Stormont. You heard it about the terms of politics working for them, and you hear it here time and time again and we’ve certainly heard it over the last 24 hours.

“What’s the point? What’s the point whenever people are going to railroad over their rights? Whenever they’re going to try to roll back in 28 years of progress?

“But I can tell you what we’re about. We’re about the future. We’re about building on our peace and progress. We’re about not allowing people to bring us back.”

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald said the people of Garvaghy Road would “not be drawn back to the past”.

She said: “We have spent all night here, all night talking to people, listening to people, seeking to reassure people that actually this can be resolved, and it must be.

“So here is what needs to happen now – the Secretary of State needs to intervene. The chief constable of the PSNI needs to intervene and put a stop to this.

“This is madness. This, in fact, is primitive treatment of any community in the year 2026. It is intolerable, and it will not be tolerated.

“The mood here has been peaceful. It has been united and orderly.

“This is a dignified and united community, and they are absolutely determined that they and we will not be drawn back into the past.

“That is the message from Garvaghy Road today.”