A SINN Fein councillor yesterday criticised a decision by the Mayor of Derry to observe a minute's silence for the victims of Sunday night's London bombing.
Councillor Mary Nelis described the SDLP mayor's decision to postpone the gala opening of Derry's new civic offices as an attempt to isolate Sinn Fein.
Yesterday's official opening, attended by councillors and dignitaries from across Northern Ireland, was to have been followed by speeches and a lunch. Instead, the mayor, Mr John Kerr, postponed the formalities and held a minute's silence inside the £7 million civic office block.
The mayor was supported by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, the DUP councillor, the Rev Eric Smyth, who attended the opening. "What Councillor Kerr has done is the right thing and it's a proper way to register our disgust at what happened in London. The minute's silence was appropriate in the circumstances."
However, Mrs Nelis criticised the decision. "I might, have reacted more positively if we had been consulted in the first place. It's counter productive to marginalise and isolate people."