Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O’Neill said she stands over her choice to participate in a protest on the Garvaghy Road in Portadown that police have described as unlawful.

Northern Ireland’s First Minister visited protesters against the contentious Drumcree parade on the road on Wednesday afternoon along with party president Mary Lou McDonald.

A group of around 150 protesters remain at the side of the road and Ms O’Neill and Ms McDonald met with several, praising them and telling them they were proud of their efforts.

Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald meets locals on the Garvaghy Road in Portadown (Mark Marlow/PA)

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The presence of Ms O’Neill and other Sinn Féin figures amid a protest at the site of more than 1,000 people on Sunday which prevented the parade going ahead has been criticised by unionist politicians.

Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has confirmed there is a large-scale criminal investigation under way into a mass unlawful protest that blocked the Garvaghy Road on Sunday.

Asked about her participation in the protest, Ms O’Neill said: “I accept that I made a choice, a choice to stand with the residents of the Garvaghy Road.

“It is a choice I will continue to make.

“This is very clearly a community which feels under siege, a community that has been put in reverse and retraumatised in terms of what happened 28 years ago.

“This was an issue that was resolved.”

She added: “Their ask is a very moderate ask, to live free from fear and intimidation, and I support their call for that and I stand with them.”

First Minister Michelle O’Neill faces questions from the media on the Garvaghy Road (Mark Marlow/PA)

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Ms O’Neill said: “I stand over my choice.

“There are times in life you have to do the right thing and the right thing is to stand here with these residents.

“I will not let these people down.”

Responding to a comment from Mr Boutcher about “mob rule”, Ms McDonald said there had been a “dignified and united resistance” from Garvaghy Road residents.

She added: “What you see here are mothers and fathers, grandparents, young people, older people, who have come together in common cause to assert the dignity of this community and to demand respect for this community, that is the stuff of really, really good citizenship, that’s the stuff of decency.

“Those of us who are here, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Garvaghy Road community, are choosing to do the right thing.

“The right thing is always to face down sectarianism and any form of sectarianism.”

Ms McDonald said nobody is above the law but said she had made a decision to “stand shoulder to shoulder with the community”.

First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald meet locals on the Garvaghy Road (Mark Marlow/PA)

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She added: “I stand over that decision all day long.

“And indeed, we will stand with this community until we have clarity that there will be no Orange march forced down the Garvaghy Road.

“This is a situation that has been brought upon the community of the Garvaghy Road and everybody else.

“I have yet to meet any person who thinks that all of this was a good idea.

“This has been disruptive. This has been distressing. It has been traumatising, retraumatising for this community, it’s a disgrace that this happened, and a stop needs to be put to it now.

“The Secretary of State has the power, has the discretion to call this and to stop this march, and that’s what he should do.”

Commenting on ongoing talks being hosted at Hillsborough Castle by Secretary of State Sir Chris Bryant, Ms McDonald said any solution had to be on the basis that there is no march.

She added: “But let me repeat: if that finds a resolution with no march down the Garvaghy Road so well and so good, but the British Secretary of State has the discretion and the power to sort this out now, and that is what he should do.”