20,000 march for marriage equality in Belfast

An estimated 20,000 people took part in a march in Belfast yesterday, to show support for the introduction of same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland.

The rally was organised by Amnesty International, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and The Rainbow Project, and was attended by many political representatives and local celebrities – including Snow Patrol singer Gary Lightbody, and the actress Bronagh Gallagher.

Addressing the rally, Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International’s Northern Ireland programme director, said: “We are all here today because of a simple idea: all people are equal. The State should treat all people equally.”

“That’s why we are on the march today and why we will walk every step of the way with you and the LGBTI community, and why we will not stop until every one of us can enjoy the same rights and recognition before the law.”

The event was widely covered on social media, with the hashtag #MarchForEquality.

Same sex marriage has not yet been legalised in Northern Ireland, where the DUP have blocked its passage four times. The measure is supported across the Assembly’s other parties, including Sinn Fein, the SDLP, and the Alliance party.