A prominent loyalist allegedly made a race-hate social media posting for Northern Ireland to be brought to a standstill in a bid to “stop the spread of evil Islam”, a court has heard.
Police claimed the message on David Stitt’s Facebook page which urged members of the public to attend a series of protests was “a call to arms”.
Details emerged as the 53-year-old community worker appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court charged with publishing written material with intent to stir up hatred.
Stitt, of Lord Warden’s Court in Bangor, Co Down, was refused bail and remanded in custody until next month.
The court heard a social media message on July 31 read: “Don’t normally post anything on my page but with recent events ‘enough is enough’ (and) ‘get up and stand up’.
It listed parts of Belfast, Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus, Larne, Bangor and north Down where protests were to be held on August 3.
The posting stated: “Please forward and share to (as) many people as possible, the aim is to bring the country to a standstill.”
At all locations the advice was for women and children to be at the front of demonstrations.
The posting continued: “This is about all of our families; not about being British or Irish, Orange or Green.
“This is the Christian west under siege when children aren’t safe (in) the places we send them to express happiness, joy and fun.
“Government won’t help. Police are powerless. Were (sic) will you be?
“And what can you say to your children in years to come when we had one chance to stop the spread of evil Islam.”
Stitt was arrested by officers from the PSNI’s Paramilitary Crime Task Force as he arrived at Belfast City Airport on Thursday.
Defence lawyer Gavin Booth challenged the decision to charge him with the offence.
He insisted his client had only forwarded on a post containing no threatening or abusive content and which had been written by someone else.
“This is a copy and paste job, they were not his own words,” the solicitor said.
Mr Booth also submitted that his client has lawful rights to freedom of expression and to protest.
But an investigating detective responded: “We feel this is a call to arms for people to take the law into their own hands.”
Opposing bail, he set out how the August 3 protests led to a surge in racially-motivated attacks in properties and businesses across Belfast.
Mr Booth told the court Stitt is an “influential figure in the community” involved in conflict-resolution initiatives and work with members of all cultures, including taking a group on a trip to the Auschwitz concentration camp memorial site in Poland.
“This is just one post… he wasn’t out on the streets trying to encourage violence,” the lawyer added.
Bail was denied, however, based on the risk of re-offending.
District Judge Steven Keown declared: “There is no hierarchy of individuals within the community.
“People who think there is, or that some religions are evil, are the ones who are the threat to our society, not the hard working people from whatever community who peacefully contribute to our society.
“There is no place in our society for people who hold this view, they are a threat to the society as we have seen over the last three or four weeks.”
He remanded Stitt in custody until September 20