A 56-year-old man remains in police custody
The display on a bonfire in Co Tyrone is being treated as a hate crime, the police have confirmed.
An effigy of an Islamic State terrorist brandishing a knife inside a mosque has been placed on top of the bonfire in Moygashel.
The Moygashel bonfire has drawn controversy in recent years after a police car was placed on top of it in 2024, and last year, it featured a dinghy full of mannequins symbolising asylum seekers who enter the UK via small boats.
Earlier today, police confirmed that they were aware of the image and that a 56-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of contravening Article 9 of the Public Order (NI) Order 1987. He remains in custody.
In an update on Thursday evening, police said the display is being treated as a hate crime. A PSNI spokesperson said: “The display on the Moygashel bonfire is being treated as a hate-motivated criminal offence and we continue to assess the situation.
“A 56-year-old man arrested earlier today remains in police custody.
“Enquiries are continuing and police would appeal to anyone with information which might assist us to contact 101. You can also submit a report or information online using the non-emergency reporting form via https://reporting.psni.police.uk/appeals, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org/.”
Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International’s Northern Ireland Director, described the effigy as “incitement to hatred” and called for the police to “identify and hold to account those responsible”.
Sinn Féin Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Colm Gildernew said the images on Moygashel bonfire are “deplorable”, and Alliance Councillor Eddie Roofe described it as hateful and deeply offensive.
Meanwhile, People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll described it as “a naked act of Islamophobic intimidation aimed at terrorising our Muslim and migrant neighbours” and called for it to be taken down immediately.
It comes as a new research report shows a substantial majority of people in Northern Ireland feel worried about violence breaking out over the upcoming marching season.
The new report shows that 70% of people expressed concern following the racist violence in early June.
The new research was commissioned by Act Now, Northern Ireland’s people-powered campaigning organisation, and 38 Degrees. It was carried out by Survation between June 12 and 22 2026 with 1,003 adults living in Northern Ireland.
Of those, 29% said they were very worried and 41% quite worried. Around a quarter (27%) were not worried, and 4% did not know.
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