Campaigners at Irish border call for NI protocol to be protected

Campaigners from the group “Border Communities Against Brexit” demonstrated yesterday at Flurrybridge in Carrickcarnon, a border town between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The crowd warned the UK Government against triggering Article 16. Damian McGinty, an activist from Border Communities Against Brexit, told the crowd: “Don’t forget, 56% voted to remain and we voted to remain in the EU and by any calculation that is a majority. And a majority also support the protocol, the DUP do not speak for us”.

Mr McGinty took aim at Brexit chief negotiator Lord Frost, and called his approach to Brexit “disgraceful”.

On Friday, Lord Frost said there was the potential to “generate momentum” in talks with the EU over the Northern Ireland Protocol. Earlier this week Michael Gove also appeared to retreat from the threat to trigger Article 16.

Article 16 of the “Northern Ireland Protocol” sets out the process for taking unilateral “safeguard” measures if either the EU or UK concludes that the deal is leading to serious “economic, societal or environmental difficulties” that are liable to persist.