A loyalist cultural group has described young people who hung a flag depicting a masked man holding a rocket launcher at an Eleventh Night bonfire site as 'over-exuberant'.
Violent, sectarian and Nazi images were put on display at a recently removed bonfire builders hut at Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre in east Belfast.
The pyre is being built close to two modern 4G playing pitches, which cost £300,000 to install, at the £20m leisure centre.
Read more: What are eleventh night bonfires?
A group calling itself Clonduff Cultural Expression Committee has defended those behind the bonfire.
In a statement issued through a consultancy firm run by loyalist activist Jamie Bryson, the group was critical of the Alliance Party, SDLP and Irish News for highlighting the offensive display.
Read More: Bonfire hut decked in violent, sectarian and Nazi images dismantled
Last week the Alliance Party, SDLP and Green Party voiced concern about the bonfire and images placed at a builders' hut.
Within hours an office linked to the Alliance Party in east Belfast was targeted in a graffiti attack, which included the message: "F*** The Irish News" and was signed CRT.
CRT is believed to be a reference to Clonduff Rocket Team - a group of youths in east Belfast who use the name.
Sinn Féin’s Gerry Kelly has condemned the attempts to silence Mr Long for speaking out against “displays of hatred”.
The PSNI has described the attack as a sectarian-motivated hate crime.
Concerns were raised after it emerged that the builders' hut was decked out in a range of offensive images including a flag showing a masked man holding a rocket launcher, which included the words Clonduff Rocket Team.
A similar flag has been flown from a nearby lamppost.
Other offensive images include a Swastika made from tape stuck to a makeshift wooden table.
The letters 'CRT' had been handwritten on each end of the Nazi symbol.
The letters UVF were etched onto the table, while a flag dedicated to the 36th (Ulster) Division, which fought against Germany in the First World War and was comprised mainly of original UVF members, also hung in the hut just feet away from the Nazi tribute.
Read more:
- Alex Kane: Why are loyalist paramilitaries still recruiting - and why do they still exist? (premium)
- Who are the UVF?
The presence of the Nazi display is thought to be particularly awkward for loyalists who regularly honour British armed forces and their war dead.
In its statement, Clonduff Cultural Expression Committee said: "This year there was a bonfire hut and some over-exuberant young people erected flags inside.
"This hardly warranted front page news or the sensationalist reporting it attracted.
"In comparison to thousands of young people singing 'up the Ra' at Feile.
"It is rather benign silliness."
The statement also appears to reference the Nazi images.
"In equal terms, some misguided individual scratching into a pallet a disgusting symbol is youthful silliness, and certainly doesn't warrant an entire community being labelled with this," it said.
The statement added that young people in the district had been promised "a particular cultural expression area after losing their community centre".
"This area was earmarked between two football pitches, and upon seeing a slope on the ground, the local adults themselves flattened this area of grass so the young people could have their bonfire," the statement said.
"The young people also significantly scaled it back, not wishing to damage any new sporting facilities."
SDLP councilor Séamas de Faoite has been critical of the bonfire.
"There are plenty of men from east Belfast who bravely fought against the horrors of Nazism in the Second World War," he said.
"It is appalling to see any self-proclaimed voices of loyalism seek to downplay the presence of Nazi and paramilitary symbols at Clonduff instead of outright condemning it.
"They are letting down those past generations and their brave sacrifice."
