O'Neill and McDonald attend police interview over Garvaghy Road protest
PA MediaThe First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald have arrived for their police interviews over their involvement in protests on the Garvaghy Road blocking an Orange Order parade last month.
Unionist parties have called for action against O'Neill and others over the protests, accusing nationalist parties of acting unlawfully.
Speaking on arrival at Musgrave Police Station in Belfast on Wednesday, McDonald said they had stood on the road to "protect a vulnerable community" and that it was "the right thing to do".
"We are here today to cooperate fully with the PSNI," she added.
"I was invited here for interview, I have presented myself... we have both made clear we will cooperate fully with any processes arising from the decision we took."
O'Neill said it was "always the right thing to do to stand on the Garvaghy Road" and that the party was proud of its decision to do so.
"Let's go in and do the interview... but I am going nowhere, I am going to keep turning up for people, I am the first minister."
Earlier on Wednesday, O'Neill clashed with unionist politicians at a Stormont committee over her involvement in the protests.
Speaking at the committee, O'Neill said that no member was her "judge or jury".
She added that she would engage with processes, but would always stand with the Garvaghy Road residents.
Wednesday was the first time O'Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly have appeared together at the Executive Office committee in many months, but they arrived separately.
Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) MLA Timothy Gaston claimed there was a "whiff of illegality around the first minister's office", saying O'Neill's involvement in the protests was a breach of the pledge of office.
She added that: "I've dealt with these issues in the assembly... I have nothing more to add to this but I will say this: No member of this committee is my judge or jury. There are processes to be engaged with and I'll do all of that but I will not be judged on the illegality or not of anything by this committee.
O'Neill was also accused by Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MLAs on the committee of "running away" from scrutiny, as she left the committee just after 15:00 GMT while MLAs were still asking questions.
Deborah Erskine said the first minister had treated the committee with "absolute contempt", but O'Neill's party colleague Sinéad Ennis said the first minister had informed the committee she had other commitments and would be unable to stay beyond an hour.
Committee chair, Alliance's Paula Bradshaw, said there appeared to be a "relationship breakdown" between the parties that needed repaired if progress is to be made on a range of issues before the next assembly election.
O'Neill said the parties did have "wide gaps" in terms of their approaches to issues, while Little-Pengelly said it was "not an easy relationship".
She said she believed the events of the Drumcree dispute had "fractured political relationships within the executive office, within the executive and indeed within the assembly", adding that she had been "appalled" by the behaviour of Sinn Fein ministers.
