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LAST UPDATE | 57 mins ago
POLITICIANS IN THE North have strongly condemned DUP MP Carla Lockhart for appearing alongside masked men at a protest in Co Down on Saturday.
The Great March for Gaza, organised by the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign in Lurgan, set off from the Co Armagh town towards Newry, to represent the 40-kilometre length of the Gaza Strip.
It’s the second year running that the march has taken place, which raises money for Palestine Aid Ireland and Children Not Numbers.
However, the Co Down village of Scarva became a flashpoint along the parade route last year and local residents raised objections ahead of yesterday’s march.
Northern Ireland’s Parades Commission granted permission for the march, but placed a number of conditions on it, including that no participant should enter Scarva.
Meanwhile, a group called Scarva Concerned Residents had permission for a demonstration on Scarva Bridge, with conditions including refraining from “provocative behaviour”.
Hundreds of protesters with Israel flags, as well as Union flags, turned out to oppose the march.
Lockhart appeared with the counter-protesters on Scarva bridge and was pictured alongside masked men.
Alliance MP Sorcha Eastwood remarked that MPs “have an important role” in showing a “good example”.
“Standing in a crowd with people covering faces with masks or scarves whilst the crowd shout obscenities and abuse is not something we should be anywhere near, never mind in the middle of.”
Lockhart, in a response on X, accused Eastwood of “click bait” and of “playing to the crowd”.
She added in a post to Facebook that the local community representatives “worked tirelessly to help calm the situation and prevent further escalation”.
Sinn Féin MP Chris Hazzard meanwhile remarked that “South Down is a welcoming place defined by beautiful forests, mountains, and beaches – not masked intimidation”.
“Next time you visit, you should look into what our constituency actually has to offer, rather than standing with masked men intimidating women and children.”
South Down is a welcoming place defined by beautiful forests, mountains, and beaches - not masked intimidation
— Chris Hazzard MP (@ChrisHazzardSF) June 7, 2026
Next time you visit @carlalockhart you should look into what our constituency actually has to offer, rather than standing with masked men intimidating women & children pic.twitter.com/UFfAeJXzhj
Hazzard is the MP for South Down, and Lockhart said: “In the absence of their own MP I had to step in and ensure calm heads prevailed.”
Meanwhile, deputy leader of Alliance Eóin Tennyson said that “MPs should be challenging intimidation and sectarianism wherever it appears”, in reference to her appearance at the protest yesterday.
The SDLP leader Claire Hanna described the images from Scarva as “bleak and disturbing”.
“Taunts at peaceful marchers, an MP surrounded by masked men in 2026,” said Hanna.
And while the parade passed off without incident, Lockhart claimed that the “policing operation started badly, and deteriorated, only serving to inflame tensions”.
There was a heavy police presence yesterday, with a line of police Land Rovers blocking off the bridge which connects the towpath and the village.
Lockhart said she was “jostled by the police in their haste to engage” and added that she will “be speaking with senior officers in the coming days and to understand why these decisions were made”.
She said she was “thankful for the presence of colleagues and other Unionist representatives who deescalated what was an unnecessarily volatile situation”.
The PSNI defended its actions and a spokesperson said: “An appropriate and proportionate policing operation was implemented in Scarva to maintain public safety during a notified parade and protest.
“Evidence-gathering was deployed as part of the operation and footage captured will be reviewed in due course.”
In a statement to The Journal, the DUP said Lockhart was in Scarva alongside several DUP MLAs and local councillors.
“Working alongside the local community, they played an important role in helping reduce tensions,” said the DUP.
“Despite issues which caused some increase of tension during the day, ultimately the work of elected representatives and the community ensured that no major incidents occurred,” added the party spokesperson.
Elsewhere, some people partaking in the Great March for Gaza reported that slurry had been spread along the march route.
The SDLP leader Claire Hanna described this as “weaponised slurry”.
In a statement to The Journal, the PSNI confirmed that it had received a report of slurry on the road surface along part of the route and that the Department for Infrastructure was tasked to clear the road.
-With additional reporting from Press Association
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