Naomi Long warns ‘a line was crossed’ after ‘mob’ gathers outside her home

Alliance Party leader Naomi Long has condemned a “mob” who turned up at her home to protest.

Stormont’s Justice minister said a “line was crossed” on Wednesday evening when a crowd gathered outside her house.

“It isn’t engagement and it isn’t legitimate protest to turn up at my home, disrupt my neighbours, my family and place pressure on police,” she posted on X.

The East Belfast MLA lives with her husband, Michael Long, an Alliance party councillor, who posted online saying around 40 people demonstrated outside their home and a police car “had to sit outside the house overnight in case of attack”.

Mrs Long said during her 25 years in frontline politics she has engaged with “people from all backgrounds and perspectives”, and has been “open to debating and discussing issues, whether we agreed or not”.

She described what happened outside her house as “bullying and intimidation”.

She added: “It’s threatening and wholly unacceptable.

“It needs to stop.”

Alliance deputy leader Eoin Tennyson said while the motivation of the crowd was not yet clear he said he had no doubt that some of those who gathered would portray themselves as “defenders of women and girls”.

He said it was ironic they had targeted a “politician who has a stronger record than any of us in Northern Ireland at tackling violence against women and girls”.

“I’m conscious that this reprehensible incident hasn’t developed in a vacuum,” he added.

“It has followed months of toxic misinformation and personal abuse and harassment of Naomi online fuelled by far-right activists and malign influences.”

Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill described the incident as “absolutely disgusting”.

The Sinn Fein vice-president added: “Turning up at someone’s home is intimidation, not protest.

“It is never acceptable.”

DUP leader Gavin Robinson said the private homes of elected politicians should be “firmly off limits.”

There has been condemnation from across the political spectrum, with UUP leader Mike Nesbitt saying he was “shocked and horrified” by what had happened.

The Leader of the Opposition, the SDLP’s Matthew O’Toole, branded the incident as “anti-democratic intimidation” which “must be called out and opposed vociferously.”

Mr Tennyson said the incident had been live-streamed by those involved.

He blamed a “toxic atmosphere” which he said has been “whipped up” online and in Northern Ireland’s Assembly chamber.

Mr Tennyson said Mrs Long had been subject to “misinformation, disinformation and a misrepresentation” and had been singled out for targeted and personalised attacks.

“We also have a responsibility in this building – the words that we utter in the chamber are not without consequence,” he told reporters at Stormont.

“It is simply not good enough for any politician to light the touch paper and then try to walk away and absolve themselves of responsibility when the flames are burning.

“This is an important turning point and inflection in our politics. We have a choice to make about the kind of society, the kind of politics and the kind of future that we want.

“Is it a politics that is driven by hate, misinformation and disinformation and divisive culture wars, pandering to those on the extremes, or is it a politics that’s about bringing people together, offering positivity and offering hope?

“The Alliance Party has been here before. We are no strangers to intimidation and harassment, and we will not be deterred, because we know what side of that divide we rest on. We are focused on building a progressive, united and inclusive community for everyone who calls this place home.

“I know that Naomi and Michael are strong and formidable politicians, but they’re also human. They will not be deterred from that work, and this party will not be deterred from that work.”

In 2012, following a vote over flying of the Union flag at Belfast City Hall, Mrs Long received a death threat and petrol bombs were thrown at her office in east Belfast.

But Mr Long said: “In 25 years, no one has protested at our house.”

In a statement on Thursday, the PSNI said they attended a protest outside a property in east Belfast on Wednesday evening.

They said they have begun an investigation and an evidence-gathering operation is now in place.

They will review footage and “consider if any potential offences were committed”.