Sinn Féin to boycott US St Patrick’s Day celebrations over Donald Trump stance

DUP chief Gavin Robinson criticised the choice as “short-sighted and counterproductive”, and confirmed his occasion would attend the St Patrick’s Day occasions.

When power-sharing is functioning, it’s customized for the primary and deputy first ministers to make the journey.

In a video posted on the social media platform X, Sinn Féin chief Mary Lou McDonald mentioned she had adopted the president’s feedback on Gaza with “rising concern” and had listened in “horror” to requires “mass expulsion of the Palestinian folks from their houses and the everlasting seizure of Palestinian lands”.

At a press convention following the announcement, McDonald added that the US is a “valued buddy” of Eire, with robust peace ties and function within the Irish financial system.

Nonetheless, the Sinn Féin president mentioned the present US administration is “catastrophically unsuitable” on Palestine.

“I’ve decided to not attend occasions within the White Home this yr as a principled stance towards the decision for the mass expulsion of the Palestinian folks from Gaza,” she mentioned.

“The one path to peace and safety is a everlasting ceasefire adopted by a negotiation settlement which ensures peace and safety for each Palestinians and Israelis by way of a simply and sustainable two state resolution and that needs to be the answer of the US.”

McDonald additionally referred to as on Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin to make use of the celebrations as a chance to mirror the views of the Irish folks in relation to Palestine in assist of Worldwide regulation.

O’Neill mentioned she had spoken to Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly on Friday morning to tell her of the choice.

“It’s completely her name by way of what she could resolve to do,” she added.

“For me this about taking a principled stand that is a few second in time a second in historical past after we will all mirror on what we did and this is a chance to take a stand for the Palestinian folks.”

Democratic Unionist Celebration (DUP) chief Gavin Robinson described Sinn Féin’s resolution as “short-sighted and counterproductive”, and criticised the primary minister’s resolution to boycott the celebrations.

He confirmed that his occasion can be in Washington for the St Patrick’s day occasions.

“We at all times use the chance to strengthen Northern Eire’s financial and political ties with the USA, no matter who occupies the White Home,” he mentioned.

“We are going to proceed to have interaction with our companions in Washington, selling Northern Eire as a spot to take a position, work, and do enterprise.”

SDLP chief Claire Hanna mentioned she was glad there was a “rising realisation issues can’t be enterprise as ordinary” with the present US administration.

Final week, she introduced that her occasion would decline an invitation to the White Home over the president’s feedback on Gaza.

It’s the second yr in a row the occasion has mentioned it will flip down an invite to St Patrick’s Day celebrations.

“There are those that have championed Donald Trump and tried to journey on his coattails,” she advised BBC Information NI.

“They’ve a choice to make as to whether or not they associate with his autocracy, his technique of disinformation and probably worldwide chaos or whether or not they select to face towards it and communicate reality to energy.”