SINN FÉIN has commemorated the life of IRA member Mairead Farrell, who was shot dead in Gibraltar by the SAS in 1998.
The event was held in its private rooms at Stormont after permission to use the Long Gallery at Parliament Buildings was refused by a committee of Assembly members on Thursday.
Their ruling was criticised yesterday by Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams who accused some unionists of picking fights with republicans. "There is an element within the DUP who want to pick a fight with Sinn Féin. Our friend, Mairead Farrell, has been caught up in that."
Mr Adams dismissed a protest at Stormont, saying: "Half a dozen protesters outside is not exactly the charging of the barricades." He claimed too much had been made of the commemoration, which was designed to coincide with International Women's Day.
Sinn Féin has requested a list of all party political symbols in Parliament Buildings which could mean that further disputes are likely.
The main approach to Stormont is dominated by a statue of Lord Carson, while the main staircase above the Great Hall is the site for a statue of Lord Craigavon, prime minister of Northern Ireland following partition in 1921 until 1940.