Cllr Denise Mullen: SDLP & Sinn Féin Vote Again to Gut Civil Rights, As 6,399 Submissions Oppose Curtailing Right to Peaceful Assembly
Responding to Sinn Féin and the SDLP’s vote on the Exclusion Zones Bill, Aontú Deputy Leader & Candidate for Fermanagh South Tyrone, Cllr Denise Mullen, has rebuked this latest attempt to erode civil rights, despite 6,399 submissions from the public opposing the measure.
Cllr Mullen: “It is a sign of how far away Sinn Féin and the SDLP have moved away from nationalists that yesterday these parties voted in favour of legislation to curtail civil rights and prohibit peaceful assembly by human rights activists. This was underscored by the results of the public consultation on this bill. Only 13 (0.2%) of the 6,412 submissions from the public were in favour of the legislations – this means 99.8% (6,399) of the submissions opposed the legislation. This follows on from consistent polling showing the human rights consensus of the people of the North. Claire Bailey’s discriminatory legislation has no basis in popular public support or civil rights. Underpinning this legislation, is a desire to censor discussion of human rights and to silence those who would point out the manner in which abortion has been illegally imposed upon the North. Peaceful protest is being criminalised by Stormont once more, only this time nationalist parties are supporting this criminalisation. How far have they fallen?”
