There are calls for an investigation after the portrait of a former DUP Lord Mayor was damaged at an event in Belfast City Hall.
A Sinn Féin employee resigned after admitting involvement in the incident where the picture of Lord Wallace Browne was removed from a wall after its glass was “smashed” at the weekend.
Speaking on Good Morning Ulster, the Green Party senator Mal O’Hara said people need to know “who did what, who was involved, [and] who observed”.
O’Hara called on Sinn Féin to take an approach that should be “open, honest, transparent and upfront, so that the story can be dealt with.”
‘Respect’
The public need to “see the full picture of what happened,” O’Hara said.
“I think it’s disappointing that someone has vandalised the picture of a former Lord Mayor.
“Disagree with someone’s politics, but it is an historical record that they were Lord Mayor at that time and it should be given that respect,” he added.
The incident took place following an event at City Hall to celebrate an Irish language group’s 20th anniversary.
Several senior Sinn Féin members were among those seen in pictures posted online from the city hall event.
A Sinn Féin spokesperson said the employee was “immediately suspended” and the police have been notified.
The party said the employee, who worked in the assembly, had now resigned from their job and the party.
In a social media post, DUP leader Gavin Robinson said: “We don’t know if the motivation was sectarian bigotry, antisemitism, wanton destruction or a heady mix of the three… but [it’s] a disgrace.”
DUP councillor Dean McCullough said the glass in the portrait’s frame had been smashed.
“We have called for a full and robust investigation because there are a number of outstanding questions,” he said.
