There has been condemnation after actor Jimmy Nesbitt was reportedly targeted by vandals who painted crosshairs on a wall in Portrush.
It's believed the TV star, who has a property in Portrush, Co Antrim, was singled out for the menacing sectarian graffiti after he was a keynote speaker at Ireland's Future in Dublin which explored planning for an Ireland united.
Police say the graffiti is being treated as a hate crime.
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The message on a wall read: "1x King, 1x Crown, No Pope in Our Town James Nesbitt" with a crosshair symbol at the end.
In a Tweet Colin Harvey, a professor of Human Rights Law at Queen's University Belfast and who is on the management board of Ireland's Future, said: "The targeting of James Nesbitt is absolutely shocking and appalling.
"It must be unequivocally condemned across the civic and political board in the strongest possible terms
"Thugs and threats must not be permitted to derail legitimate and respectful constitutional conversations here. Solidarity with James Nesbitt."
A spokesperson for the WAVE Trauma Centre said: “As a patron of the WAVE Trauma Centre for over 20 years, Jimmy Nesbitt has been a true friend to victims and survivors right across Northern Ireland.
That speaks to his commitment to support those who have suffered so much during our violent past but yet are too often ignored”.
Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald has also condemned the threats. The East Derry MLA said: “The appearance of threatening and sectarian graffiti directed at James Nesbitt in Portrush is disgusting.
“These threats are an attack on the right to freedom of expression. They come only weeks after James Nesbitt addressed thousands of people in Dublin from right across the political spectrum to discuss the future of the island of Ireland.
“This is clearly a sinister effort to silence debate and intimidate people from joining the discussion.
“There is no place in society for the threats and hatred directed at James Nesbitt. Political leaders should stand shoulder to shoulder in opposition to these threats.
“Those responsible for this hate crime should be held to account. Anyone with information on those responsible should bring it forward to the PSNI.”
SDLP MLA Cara Hunter called on the graffiti as "unacceptable behaviour".
Taking to social media, she wrote: "Absolutely disgraceful sectarian graffiti in Portrush. This is a disgusting attempt to silence discussion on shaping a New Ireland. It won’t work. People are fully entitled to have their own beliefs without intimidation or threat. Unacceptable behaviour."
The Ireland's Future Together conference was attended by representatives from across the political spectrum and as someone who hails from a traditionally Unionist/Protestant background, Nesbitt's presence was viewed as a useful insight.
At the 3Arena he told an audience of around 5,000 people the phrase “united Ireland” was viewed by some unionists as incendiary and suggested the term “Union of Ireland” might be more palatable as a concept for people from his community.
He said: “I prefer something like a new union of Ireland where people from the north, particularly those from my tradition, would feel that they have their identity, that it is in no way threatened, that they have an equal voice, that they are part of a society that is progressive, inclusive, diverse.
“That they have prosperity, that they are not marginalised, and that they can be proud to be from the north of Ireland in a new union of Ireland.”
The 57-year-old's agents were contacted for comment last night but had yet to furnish a response.
A PSNI spokesperson said police received a report of graffiti on a wall in Portrush on Wednesday, October 19.
"The graffiti is believed to have been written on the wall sometime between 5pm on Tuesday and 7.30pm on Wednesday evening and is being treated as a hate crime.
"Enquiries are ongoing and officers would ask anyone with any information to contact them in Coleraine on 101, quoting reference number 1677 19/10/22. You can also submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/," the spokesperson added.
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