Gerry Adams denied entry to White House Irish gathering

Gerry Adams was due to attend the annual White House event, hosted by President Barack Obama, with party deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald and NI Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness. Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Sarah Bardon and Simon Carswell

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams was declined entry to a reception for the Irish community at the White House on Tuesday evening.

Mr Adams was due to attend the annual event, hosted by president Barack Obama, with his party’s deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald and Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.

However, he was forced to wait 90 minutes as security examined his passport. Ms McDonald and Mr McGuinness attended the event but Mr Adams decided to leave when it became clear there was no immediate resolution.

He described the move to deny him entry as “an unacceptable development” after two decades of traveling to the US and many meetings with US presidents.

Mr Adams faces increased secondary inspections when flying as result of his connections to the republican movement. However, the issue has never arisen before despite his attendance at the event every year.

“Sinn Fein will not sit at the back of the bus for anyone,” Mr Adams said in a statement.

“We are elected to represent citizens and we will do this. I am hopeful that the controversy around my White House invitation will help lead to a resolution of these matters.”

‘Security’

The Sinn Féin leader said that when he arrived at the White House on Tuesday afternoon for the annual presentation of shamrock by Taoiseach Enda Kenny to Mr Obama he was told that there was an issue of “security.”

“It is obvious that there remain some within the US administration who seek to treat Sinn Fein differently,” he said. “Some of our political representatives have been denied access to the USA while others, including myself regularly go through additional searches and scrutiny when we travel to and from the USA.”

Mr Adams referred to an incident at last year’s St Patrick’s Day events when the State Department initially refused to meet in what he said was “part of a transparent effort to pressurise Sinn Féin during negotiations at Stormont.”

“That meeting did take place after protests from US political leaders. Efforts to pressurise us in the negotiations failed,” he said.

“This morning Martin McGuinness, Mary Lou McDonald and I met with the Congressional Friends of Ireland. They too shared our grave disappointment at the White House situation and expressed their determination to have this issue resolved.”

Mr Adams attended the St Patrick’s Day lunch hosted by the Speaker of the US House of Representatives Paul Ryan at Capitol Hill on Tuesday where he was recognised by Mr Kenny during his remarks.