The police are investigating the burning of an effigy depicting Black migrants on a boat as a “hate incident” after it was set alight as part of annual loyalist celebrations in Northern Ireland. A boat containing life-size mannequins wearing life jackets was set on top of a tower of wooden pallets in Moygashel, County Tyrone, above banners reading “stop the boats” and “veterans before refugees.”The bonfire was set alight in front of a large crowd on Thursday night as part of wider events marking the start of Twelfth of July, which commemorates the 1690 victory by a Protestant king, William III, over a Catholic king, James II. For more than a century, members of the Protestant community have taken part in annual marches and parades around July 12. During the Troubles, the sectarian conflict between Catholic and Protestant communities, “marching season” was a source of tension and, at times, violence. While the marches have become less fraught in recent years, the bonfires remain a source of concern to police, some of whom fear they can stoke lawlessness.
