A North Belfast Sinn Féin councillor whose car was attacked by the loyalist mob at City hall on Monday night said they will “not be allowed to stop the progress on equality”.

New Lodge councillor Mary Ellen Campbell was leaving City Hall on Monday night after the special council meeting about the army cadet row when her car was attacked.

The mob kicked and punched her car and shouted death threats as she drove off.

The incident came after Sinn Féin lord mayor Niall O Donnghaile refused to present an award to an army cadet at an event last week. During last Thursday’s full council meeting and the special meeting on Monday a loyalist mob gathered at the back of the City hall in protest.

Cllr Campbell said the protest will not deter Sinn Féin councillors from their work.

“If loyalists think that Sinn Féin councillors will be intimidated from pursuing an equality agenda in this city then they are seriously misjudging our resolve,” she said.

“Previous Sinn Féin councillors ran a gauntlet of abuse and worse both inside and outside the chamber when they went to represent our voters and we must work to ensure those scenes never return to this city.”

The councillor called on unionist representatives to show leadership and defuse the situation.

“What is needed now is leadership from the Unionist councillors and loyalist representatives and for them to defuse this situation, a situation that they initiated by calling for people to come on to the streets last week,” she said.

“Belfast is for all the people and the council should reflect that, gone are the days that the City Hall was a bastion of Unionism.

“That is the democratic wishes of the people of this city and one we are determined to achieve.”