Northern Ireland: a boat burned down with migrants' puppets. An investigation is being conducted on “a hatred crime”

On the night of 10 to 11 July 2025, a fire was started in Moygashel, region Tyrone, Northern Ireland, in connection with the yearly celebration of July 12th. At the top of the campfire, a boat mockery was placed with figures dressed in life jackets to symbolize migrants crossing the La Manche Canal. Next to them were banners with the inscriptions "Stop the boats", "Veterans before refugees" and the flag of Ireland.

The Eleventh Night is an yearly tradition in Northern Ireland, celebrated at night from July 11 to 12, mainly by Protestant and loyalist communities. It is about lighting large fires that symbolically commemorate King Wilhelm III's triumph over James II in the conflict of Boyne in 1690. In addition to celebration, fires frequently service as an expression of political and spiritual identity, sometimes with controversial elements like flags or puppets. This tradition is criticized for incidents now referred to as “a speech of hatred”.

According to Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), many notifications were reported regarding a possible hatred crime. Police confirmed they were investigating the incident, treating it as a possible case of hatred Crime or hatred Incident. Officers were present at the scene of the event, and the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service needed about an hr and a half to master the situation.

Loyalist fires have been lit all year by Protestant communities for decades, but in fresh years in respective places, including Moygashel, there has been a tendency to place additional elements of political or social pronunciation specified as flags, banners or puppets on them.

Many political organization representatives responded to the Moygashel event. Colm Gildernew of Catholic Sinn Féin described the installation as unacceptable, paying attention to its pronunciation regarding migrants. Malachy Quinn of SDLP pointed out that specified actions do not fit in the intentions of celebrations and origin unnecessary tensions. Mike Nesbitt of the Ulster Unionist organization stressed that he understood the value of tradition but did not support elements that could be seen as provocative. The spokesperson for the Democratic Unionist organization besides cut off from the practice of placing puppets or national flags on the bonfires, declaring it incompatible with the spirit of celebrations.

Archbishop John McDowell, a primate of the Church of England in Ireland, described the installation as incompatible with spiritual values and called for the avoidance of specified practices. Amnesty global issued a message highlighting the request to treat this kind of action in accordance with the applicable hatred crime law.

According to local media, any residents of Moygashel positively assessed the event, arguing that it expresses opposition to illegal immigration. another residents expressed concern and aversion to the form of expression they considered unnecessarily confrontational.

During the same period, riots and anti-immigrant force occurred in another parts of Northern Ireland, including Ballymena and Larne. According to PSNI reports, respective incidents occurred in June, during which groups of people attacked migrants' dwellings, destroyed property and clashes with police. In Ballymena, arson and streetblocks occurred overnight. Police conducted separate investigations in these cases, and as a consequence respective people were detained.