Michelle O'Neill and Mary Lou McDonald attend PSNI interview over Garvaghy Road protest

Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald have attended a police interview in Belfast over their participation in an allegedly unlawful protest on the Garvaghy Road in Portadown.

The interview follows confirmation from O'Neill that she had been invited by police. In a statement, she said: 'I will cooperate with the investigation.' She said that for the last two weeks she had stood in solidarity with Garvaghy Road residents as attempts were made to force an unwanted Orange march through their community. She added that she would continue to stand with residents who should be allowed to live in peace and free from sectarian intimidation, because it is always right to stand up for what is right. There was no going back, she said.

At the police station, one of the Sinn Féin leaders said: 'I was invited here for interview. I have presented myself.' The leaders said they were there to have an interview and to cooperate fully with the PSNI. They described themselves as people who act constructively at all times and as political leaders who believe in fairness and equality.

In remarks broadcast at the police station, a Sinn Féin leader said the party had stood on the Garvaghy Road to support the community at a time of pressure and vulnerability. The leader said the community's right to live free from sectarian harassment was under threat and that standing with residents was the right thing to do.

The dispute centres on the Garvaghy Road, a mainly Catholic nationalist area in Portadown. Orange Order parades, organised by mainly Protestant and traditionally unionist organisations, have been at the heart of a long-running standoff over marching through the area. Residents and their supporters say the parades are unwanted and intimidating. Supporters of the marches describe them as a traditional expression of culture and religious identity.

The police interview relates to the protest rather than to the wider parade dispute. O'Neill and McDonald have stressed that they cooperated with the PSNI and that they will continue to stand with Garvaghy Road residents. No further details of the police interview were given in the coverage.