Alliance councillor says hate crime incident while canvassing will not deter him

An Alliance Party councillor has been threatened while canvassing in a confrontation that police are treating as a hate crime.

Former mayor of Belfast Michael Long vowed not to be deterred after the incident on the campaign trail last Thursday.

Mr Long, who is the husband of Alliance leader Naomi Long, is a councillor for the Lisnasharragh area of the city.

He said he was on the Carncaver Road when two men approached him and shouted abuse and told him to leave the area.

“In my 22 years as an elected representative for this area, I have never been faced with this level of intimidation,” he said.

“As a local councillor, I work for everyone in my community and this attempt to stop me from engaging with constituents is a clear attack on the democratic process.

“I loathe that I had to leave the street, however I was back on the doors nearby within the hour and I will continue to reach out to people across Lisnasharragh, in every street and area, as I have done throughout my time as a councillor. This event will not deter me.

“The incident has been reported to the PSNI and I’d like to thank them for their assistance. These thugs will not deter us from representing every section of our community and we will continue fighting for a shared future.”

PSNI Superintendent Finola Dornan said: “The Police Service of Northern Ireland is committed to doing everything we can to ensure all candidates can participate fully in the forthcoming Northern Ireland council election free from harassment, intimidation and other forms of criminality.

“We are treating this as a hate crime and enquiries are ongoing.”

She appealed for witnesses to come forward.