Copyright bbc
With 22 representatives in the 60-member council, Sinn Féin is the largest party at City Hall. Following the initial walk out, it took almost an hour to persuade all the councillors to return to the chamber. During bizarre scenes, some of the Sinn Féin councillors suddenly resumed their seats during a vote on whether to pause proceedings for a short adjournment. The DUP opposed the break but, with the help of the returning Sinn Féin councillors, the proposal was passed by 19 votes to 15 Twenty minutes later, after talks behind the scenes, the meeting resumed. TUV (Traditional Unionist Voice) councillor Ron McDowell accused Sinn Féin of trying to "hijack" the meeting. He said: "The Lord Mayor was absolutely right to intervene to prevent the chamber being misused in this way and to ensure council business continued in line with proper procedure and established democratic practice. "The people of Belfast expect their council to deal with the business before it — not to become a stage for last-minute political ambushes and point-scoring."
