Lough Neagh water thrown around Stormont after 1000 people march demanding an immediate end to the ongoing destruction of Lough Neagh

After the march, six large bottles of green water ‘direct from Lough Neagh’ were thrown onto the steps of Stormont.

The march, organised by the Save Lough Neagh campaign, brought together people from all walks of life to protest the severe ecological collapse of the biggest lake on these islands.

Speeches were made from Loughshore residents, fishermen, swimmers and campaigners.

The march featured music, powerful visual art, trade union representation and more sending a unified, undeniable message to Stormont: the public demands systemic change to ensure our drinking water and environment are put before short term profits.

Currently, Lough Neagh is at the peak of crisis, with Antrim town and major settlements plagued by odours from the toxic algae, horrific sightings of wildlife struggling in the algae, and foul tap water reported.

Campaigners directly targeted the political decisions that led to the current ecological disaster, specifically citing the "Going for Growth" agricultural policy and the decades of defunding of NI Water, and urged against the transfer of ownership to the Lough to NI Water, one of the biggest single polluters of the Lough.

“Stormont has had years to tackle these public health & environmental crises yet has done basically nothing,” Spokesperson Pádraig Mac Niocaill said.

"Now we see Unionist parties attempt to draw attention away from their own culpability by manufacturing a political crisis over in Drumcree for an unnecessary sectarian parade.”

”Upper Bann is on the Southern Shore of Lough Neagh, it's drinking water comes from the Lough and yet we see Carla Lockhart, Johnny Buckley and others hellbent on dividing society as part of an electoral game rather than rather than take the long overdue action required to clean up this mess their parties have helped create in our waterways.

"An Independent Environmental Agency with the ability to hold polluters accountable, still has not been delivered due to their party,” he added.

Organisers stressed a core message that resonated throughout the crowd: Protestant, Catholic, or neither - every single person needs clean water, and Stormont isn’t delivering.

With many people, animals and businesses affected by the pollution crisis, and the Data Centre & AI strategy threatening to bring even more harm to waterways.

The Save Lough Neagh campaign also extended a massive thank you to everyone who turned up, added to the atmosphere and helped spread the word, and encouraged people to follow them on social media on @saveloughneagh to keep up to date with the campaign.