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Northern Ireland's Environment Minister Andrew Muir has said that a contentious loyalist bonfire in south Belfast should not be set alight. Fresh safety concerns have been raised over asbestos at the site of the fire which is due to be lit on Friday night.
Muir pleaded with anyone who is set to attend the fire to "exercise caution". The Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) said late on Thursday that suspected asbestos had been found at five locations on the bonfire site and 20kg of material was removed.
Asbestos discovery raises alarm
Controversy has surrounded the Belfast bonfire at Meridi Street off the Donegall Road which is also close to an electricity substation which powers two hospitals. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said on Thursday that the force would not agree to a request from Belfast City Council to remove the pyre.
Following an inspection at the site, the NIEA confirmed the asbestos discovery. "The Northern Ireland Environment Agency can confirm that fragments of suspected asbestos were found at five locations around the site," a statement said.
Complex removal operation planned
"Approximately 20 kilogrammes of suspect material was identified and was immediately removed," the agency added. The NIEA warned that removing all asbestos from the site would be "a highly specialised, complex and delicate operation that will require the site to be fully vacated".
The agency said the landowner is due to arrange complete asbestos removal starting on July 16 2025, but the work will take several weeks. Muir, an Alliance Party MLA, told the BBC: "There are many ways to celebrate, but not at this site."
Orange Order defends celebration
"Personally I respect how important the 11th and 12th is, I understand its importance, but I'd plead with people to exercise caution and not to light this bonfire if they could," he said. The Grand Secretary of the Orange Order Rev Mervyn Gibson said people should "go and enjoy themselves" at the bonfire.
Gibson told the BBC that a council committee vote earlier this week to remove the bonfire was a "political decision". He said: "I believe the council voted a couple of weeks ago for the bonfire to go ahead. A few days before it, then Sinn Fein and Alliance and the SDLP decide to vote against it."
Political criticism mounts
Sinn Fein MLA Pat Sheehan said "serious public safety concerns" remain over the fire. He questioned: "How can a bonfire that poses a risk to the supply of electricity to two major hospitals and is built on a site covered in asbestos be allowed to go ahead?"
"Public health concerns must be paramount. What was already a high risk situation has been amplified by the recent discovery of even more toxic asbestos on site," Sheehan said. He accused political unionism of "failing" to show decisive leadership on the issue.
Controversial Tyrone bonfire condemned
Meanwhile, a separate bonfire lit on Thursday in Moygashel, Co Tyrone, drew widespread condemnation after featuring an effigy of migrants in a boat. The PSNI said they were investigating the incident as a hate crime.
The boat contained more than a dozen life-sized mannequins wearing life jackets, with placards below reading "Stop the boats" and "Veterans before refugees". Sinn Fein MLA Colm Gildernew described the display as "abhorrent" and driven by "vile, far-right and racist attitudes".
Traditional celebrations continue
Hundreds of bonfires will be lit on Friday night ahead of the Orange Order's July 12 parades on Saturday. The traditional fires are lit ahead of the main date in the parading calendar of Protestant loyal orders, the Twelfth of July.
While most bonfires pass off without incident, several have become contentious due to flags, effigies and election posters placed on the structures before ignition. Gildernew welcomed police treating the Tyrone incident as a hate crime, saying those responsible must be held accountable for their actions.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
