Stormont Protest Draws Strong Cross-Party Support

Anna Lo of the Alliance Party was flagged by Dawn Purvis MLA and Conal McDevitt and Dolores Kelly of the SDLP to welcome the boisterous but good-natured crowd.  Other MLAs from the DUP and the Ulster Unionists joined in, in what became a strong cross-party endorsement of the work of community relations projects, and vocal criticism of the Education Minister's decision. 

Dawn Purvis said: "Community relations is, I believe, the key to transforming Northern Ireland and transforming out communities."  She described the Education Minister's decision as "…an economic absurdity", suggesting that we will pay for these cuts through many other budgets as a consequence.

Anna Lo said, "The divisions in our society must be tackled, and tackled now", and called for funding to be reinstated at least until a new policy is in place.  Conal McDevitt said, pointing into the Assembly building, "There are too many people in there who do not and will not stand for a shared society.  They peddle on the bigotry of our past and they get votes off the back of our divisions".

Ulster Unionist John McCallister MLA, who was joined by colleagues David McClarity and Basil McCrea said, "I am passionate about youth work and the difference it can make in our lives", and went on to describe the Minister's decision as coming out of a policy perspective that is "…nothing but apartheid with a bit of equality thrown in."

Mervyn Storey of the DUP, joined by his colleague Jim Wells, said to the gathered crowd, "The work that you have done is invaluable …work that is unseen and un-thanked for".

David Price, key organiser of the event who works for Community Relations in Schools, said, "We don't see this as being a one-person issue or a one-person decision.  We see this as an Executive responsibility and and Assembly responsibility."

Footage of the event will be available soon on the WIMPS website and Youtube channel - including interviews with the speakers and other MLAs who attended.