Wikipedia page of San Francisco mayor changed after outrage over McGuinness honour

It emerged yesterday that a couple of days previously she had signed a certificate on behalf of the city, hailing Mr McGuinness’ “courageous service in the military and as a negotiator”.

The mayor herself is called London Breed; a Democrat, she became the first African-American woman to hold the post when she was elected last year.

Yesterday, someone changed the introduction of her Wikipedia page to read: “London Nicole Breed (born August 11, 1974) is an terrorist supporting politician [sic] from California who is the 45th and current mayor of the City and County of San Francisco.”

And underneath her recent messages on Facebook about civic matters – such as affordable housing, improvements to the road network, and the anniversary of a long-standing restaurant – a wave of comments have appeared from people pillorying her for putting her name to the certificate.

Many made reference to terror attacks the US has suffered on its own soil.

Whilst it was mostly from people in Northern Ireland reacting, amongst them was this comment from an American, Laura Linaberry, formerly of Colorado, now living in London: “Do you even understand this conflict and what it did to people and the lives it tore apart?

“As an American from a country that has been fighting terrorism and lost so many of its own brave soldiers in the battle I find it reprehensible, completely ignorant and totally embarrassing.”

According to the newspaper The San Francisco Chronicle, the mayor was raised by her grandmother amid poverty and violence and lost a younger sister to a drug overdose in 2006, whilst her older brother was imprisoned for robbery and other crimes.

Last year the newspaper quoted her as saying at a September 11 memorial event that she “immediately started to pray for the people of New York” when she saw that terror attack unfold.

She was further quoted as saying of the rescuers: “We have to remember them by honoring them in their sacrifices like we are doing today.

“We will never forget, and we celebrate their heroism and everything they’ve done to sacrifice their lives for others.”