![\"Effigies](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/police-say-mosque-replica-on-top-of-loyalist-bonfire-is-hate-crime.jpg\")
Effigies of migrants in a boat were burned on a bonfire in Moygashel last year (Niall Carson\/PA)<\/p>\nPolice have described the placing of a replica of a mosque on top of a loyalist bonfire pyre in Co Tyrone as a \u201chate-motivated criminal offence\u201d.<\/p>\n
The model, visible on top of the pyre in Moygashel on Thursday, has been widely condemned by political parties.<\/p>\n
Providing an update on Thursday evening, a Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) statement said: \u201cThe display on the Moygashel bonfire is being treated as a hate-motivated criminal offence and we continue to\u00a0assess the situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cA 56-year-old man arrested earlier today remains in police custody.\u201d<\/p>\n
The police have faced calls to take action against the bonfire display.<\/p>\n
Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has described it as a \u201csickening and cowardly act of intimidation\u201d.<\/p>\n
In a social media post, Mr Benn said: \u201cThe placement of a replica mosque on the Moygashel bonfire is a sickening and cowardly act of intimidation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not about tradition, and in no way does it represent the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must stand united and completely reject such hatred.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Moygashel Bonfire Association has described the bonfire as an act of \u201cpolitical protest\u201d against \u201cuncontrolled illegal mass immigration\u201d.<\/p>\n
Signs saying \u201cSecure our borders\u201d and \u201cEnd the threat of radical Islam\u201d have also been placed on the pyre, which is made up of pallets and is due to be set alight on Friday night.<\/p>\n
Amnesty International described it as a \u201cvile display\u201d and a \u201cblatant attempt to stir up anti-Muslim hatred and intimidate local families\u201d.<\/p>\n
The same bonfire site has attracted controversy in previous years.<\/p>\n
Effigies of migrants in a boat were burned on a bonfire in Moygashel last year (Niall Carson\/PA)<\/p>\n
Last year there was condemnation after effigies of migrants in a boat were burned on the Moygashel fire.<\/p>\n
Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International\u2019s Northern Ireland director, said: \u201cThis vile display is a blatant attempt to stir up anti-Muslim hatred and intimidate local families.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt must be met with a decisive response by the police.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe placing of an effigy of a mosque on top of a bonfire amounts to incitement to hatred directed at real people who live, work and raise families in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a crime under Northern Ireland law to distribute materials that are intended or likely to stir up racial or religious hatred or arouse fear.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe police must investigate this as a potential crime, identify and hold to account those responsible, and ensure this material is swiftly removed before it can be used to incite further hatred and violence.\u201d<\/p>\n
https:\/\/x.com\/hilarybennmp\/status\/2075154257863462943?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw<\/p>\n
Mr Benn said: \u201cThe placement of a replica mosque on the Moygashel bonfire is a sickening and cowardly act of intimidation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not about tradition, and in no way does it represent the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must stand united and completely reject such hatred.\u201d<\/p>\n
Where views are expressed lawfully, they should not be censored simply because some find them offensive<\/p>\n
DUP spokesperson<\/p>\n
The DUP said effigies should not be placed on bonfires.<\/p>\n
A party spokesperson said: \u201cThe DUP supports the right of people to express lawful political opinions, even where those opinions are controversial or unpopular.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere the law is broken, it should be enforced.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere views are expressed lawfully, they should not be censored simply because some find them offensive.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 11th of July bonfires are a historic and cultural tradition stretching back to the fires lit to welcome the arrival of King William III.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese should be positive cultural celebrations. We support those within our community that wish to celebrate their culture by continuing with that tradition in a peaceful way.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe placing of flags, effigies or other items on bonfires is not part of that tradition and should not take place.\u201d<\/p>\n
There can be no place for placing any place of worship on a bonfire and setting it alight. It is simply wrong.<\/p>\n
Jon Burrows<\/p>\n
Ulster Unionist Party Leader, Jon Burrows has called for the \u201cimmediate removal of the offensive display\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cBonfires are an important cultural tradition for many within the unionist community, and there will be many peaceful and respectful bonfires across Northern Ireland over the coming days.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, that tradition is undermined when bonfires are used to intimidate, provoke or demean others.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere can be no place for placing any place of worship on a bonfire and setting it alight. It is simply wrong.<\/p>\n
\u201cSadly, images of this bonfire will once again travel around the world, damaging Northern Ireland\u2019s reputation and playing into the hands of critics of unionist and loyalist culture.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a statement on social media, the Moygashel Bonfire Association said it had \u201cnoted the predicable fury in respect of the act of political protest at our bonfire site this year\u201d.<\/p>\n
The statement said: \u201cThis year we have focused on an issue of significant public interest.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783650491_133_police-say-mosque-replica-on-top-of-loyalist-bonfire-is-hate-crime.jpg\")
The bonfire pyre in Moygashel (Jonathan McCambridge\/PA)<\/p>\n
\u201cOur display may well shock, offend or outrage others, but nonetheless it is an exercise in our rights under Article 10 of the ECHR and we note with some irony that it is the ECHR which has so often paved the way for mass illegal immigration and a failure to deport foreign criminals who have come here unlawfully, that also now protects our right to protest in robust terms against that.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf there was no uncontrolled illegal mass immigration, we would have no need to protest on this issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
It added: \u201cOur display expressly does NOT target any individual. We make that very clear.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur opposition is not to people, but rather to ideology and Government policy.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce this is appreciated, then it is very clear this is no more and no less than an act of protest, which is lawful protected expression.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fermanagh and South Tyrone Sinn F\u00e9in MLA Colm Gildernew described the display on the bonfire as \u201cdeplorable\u201d.<\/p>\n
The placing of this model on top of the bonfire is utterly abhorrent<\/p>\n
Eddie Roofe, Alliance Party<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cThe signage and effigy on the Moygashel bonfire is a clear hate crime.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is fuelled by hate and those that seek to bring division to our communities.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no place in our society for racism, and it is the responsibility of all political representatives and community leaders to stand against it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe PSNI must investigate this as a matter of urgency to remove this disgraceful display.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alliance Party councillor Eddie Roofe described the bonfire as \u201chateful and deeply offensive\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cThe placing of this model on top of the bonfire is utterly abhorrent.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose responsible seek only to instil fear and spread hatred towards a specific group of people who call Northern Ireland their home, and it must be removed immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eleventh night bonfires will be lit across Northern Ireland on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings ahead of the Orange Order\u2019s July 12 parades on Monday.<\/p>\n
While most of the bonfires pass off without incident, several have become the focus of contention due to the placing of flags, effigies and election posters on the structures before they are ignited.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Police have described the placing of a replica of a mosque on top of a loyalist bonfire pyre…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":542032,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[42,43,40,38,41,39],"class_list":["post-542031","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/542031","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=542031"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/542031\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/542032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=542031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=542031"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=542031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}