Palestinian flag put up at Belfast City Hall

The Palestinian flag has been put up at Belfast City Hall five hours after a narrow council vote in favour of it being flown.

The Palestinian flag had been due to be flown on Saturday but it did not appear after the council received legal advice on the issue.

The proposal from Sinn Féin was passed by 32 to 28 votes on Monday and it was put up just after midnight in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) is now challenging the legality of the decision.

Small groups of both supporters and opponents of the flag flying gathered to watch.

At the scene, police on foot and in vehicles were nearby.

The council had voted last month by an overwhelming majority to fly the flag but unionists objected, and then used the call-in procedure at City Hall to challenge the legitimacy of the decision.

The legal advice over the flag flying was published on Belfast City Council's website.

It states that "the decision was not arrived at after a proper consideration of relevant facts and issues".

Unionists are still hoping to challenge the Palestinian flag flying.

TUV councillor Ron McDowell said that he was going to the High Court to challenge the flying of the flag.

He said the council's decision had been "an attempt to outrun the law".

"We have launched an immediate legal challenge which is due to be tomorrow at 11am," he said.

"We were told there was no negative impact on good relations in the city according to a council equity report but the situation in Palestine and Israel is rooted within two communities and is deeply controversial," he said adding that had led to people protesting against the decision.

"This is an emotive issue," he told BBC News NI, adding that Monday night's proceedings were not "democratic".

The 60-member council had revisited the issue at a special meeting on Monday ahead of its monthly meeting, however, this vote was much closer than the original motion.

The Alliance Party backed the original proposal, however, on Monday it suggested illuminating the City Hall in Palestinian colours in the New Year.

They voted against the flag flying, but it was supported by the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and Green Party, as well as Sinn Féin.

The original plan to fly the flag was proposed by Sinn Féin councillor Ryan Murphy to mark the United Nations "international day of solidarity with the people of Palestine".

"In light of the continued genocide against the people of Gaza, it is right that we show solidarity and support to them," he said.

With 22 representatives on the council, Sinn Féin is the largest party at City Hall.

Defending unionist objections, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) at City Hall, Sarah Bunting, said: "Belfast City Hall represents everyone in our city. Flying the Palestinian flag would draw us into a deeply contested international conflict and risk creating further division here at home."

Later, in a statement, she said the decision was a "scandalous abuse of process".

"Our small Jewish community will understandably view this as deeply intimidating and as a move that risks stoking anti-Semitism in our city," she added.

A detailed legal analysis of the plan to fly the Palestinian flag was distributed to councillors last week.

They were told "the call-in was considered by counsel to have merit on procedural grounds but not on community impact grounds".

Monday's monthly meeting was the last scheduled session of the full council this year.

Deputy Lord Mayor Paul Doherty was verbally abused as he left City Hall by some protesters.

A group of about 30 gathered at the back gate of the council building and pinned two union flags and an Israel flag to window railings. Some of the crowd shouted at Doherty when he appeared.

The SDLP councillor later described the protesters as a "mob".

He said: "They confronted me and threw a lot of slurs at me but the bottom line is I'm very proud to stand with the people of Palestine."

Doherty was one of the 32 councillors who supported the decision to fly the Palestinian flag.

Ron McDowell said he was disappointed to hear that "anyone was abused coming out of the City Hall" and people should "stick to legitimate means" of protest.

Earlier, the votes of two councillors proved to be crucial.

Michael Collins from People Before Profit and independent Paul McCusker both backed the flag-flying proposal and helped to secure a four-vote majority.

After the council meeting ended, Sinn Féin insisted the flag should fly at midnight.

Before it went up Councillor Ryan Murphy said his party would be ensuring it does fly.

He said: "In our view it was unduly delayed. It should have happened on Saturday."