Hate crime investigation launched over migrant boat effigy bonfire in Northern Ireland

Authorities in Northern Ireland are investigating a bonfire that featured effigies of migrants in a boat and a banner reading “stop the boats” to determine whether it was a hate incident.

Church leaders and politicians complained about the display in Moygashel, a village in County Tyrone about 65 miles west of Belfast, before it was lit Thursday night.

Parts of Northern Ireland were gripped by anti-immigrant rioting last month amid tensions surrounding a recent influx of people from Eastern Europe.

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Police said they didn’t intervene before the bonfire was lit because they can only act “within the legislative framework that exists.”

Some 300 bonfires are set to be lit in the days ahead of July 12, when Protestant groups in Northern Ireland celebrate the victory of the Protestant King William III over the forces of the deposed Catholic King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.

The battle turned the tide against James’ effort to regain the throne and cemented Protestant control of Ireland.

While many Protestants celebrate the victory as part of Northern Ireland’s history and culture, the celebrations often fuel tensions with Catholics who oppose continuing British rule in the territory.

Bonfires have sometimes been an issue due to flags, effigies or election posters that are placed on the pyres before they are ignited.

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The Police Service of Northern Ireland said its officers would be on the ground through the weekend and would take “firm and proportional action to keep people safe.”

“It is vital that in marking these events, we do so in a way that respects the backgrounds and cultures of everyone who share these neighborhoods,” Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said in a statement.

“There is no place for hate or intimidation — only space for celebration that welcomes and celebrates not divides.”

The six counties of Northern Ireland remained part of the United Kingdom after the rest of Ireland won its independence in 1922.

The population is split between mainly Protestant unionists who support continued links to the UK and mainly Catholic republicans who favor reunification with the Republic of Ireland.