A School Debating Society?
That was the charge from the DUP's Peter Weir at this afternoon's special sitting on a Unionists claimed the special sitting was a waste of time and a publicity stunt. Nationalists countered that Northern Ireland's representatives had every right to urge the warring factions in the Middle east to seek an alternative to conflict.
Given that the former Nobel Peace Prize Winner was named in the motion, there was a pointed aside from Peter Weir who told republicans that if they had paid more attention to Mairead Corrigan Maguire back in the 1970s lives would have been saved. The SDLP's Alban Maginness agreed, but turned it back on the sceptical unionist by arguing that if more people listened to her today lives could be saved in the future.
The unionist parties put down what's known as a petition of concern, ensuring that the motion would require a cross community vote, and delaying that vote until the start of business on Monday. The MV Corrie is scheduled to reach Gaza or be stopped by the Israelis over the weekend. So the delay will make the the section of the motion urging Israel to give the vessel safe passage even more academic than would have been the case if it had been voted on this afternoon.
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