One year on since the We Deserve Better demonstration called for Stormont to reform, local dancer and founder of the We Deserve Better campaign Dylan Quinn embarked on another peaceful protest, this time choosing to hopscotch through Enniskillen town centre yesterday morning (August 28) to signify the “games” he believes Northern Ireland’s politicians are currently playing.

Starting at the top of the town by Darling Street, the sun shone on Dylan as he hopscotched 954 times to represent the 954 days since Northern Ireland has had a government.

His route took him through the middle of the town, passing the townhall and ending near the DUP office on East Bridge Street.

Speaking to The Impartial Reporter ahead of his latest demonstration, Dylan said: “The idea is to go from the top of town all the way through town. It may or may not end up outside our previous first minister’s office, which is not necessarily intentional.”

Explaining why he has chosen to hopscotch as his method of demonstrating, Dylan said: “It’s the idea that it feels like people are playing a little bit of a political game with our futures and I thought I would put that game down as a game, to make it apparent how ludicrous it continues to be.”

“It’s this playing around with a political football, or whatever it is, it was just to highlight that and to try and keep highlighting it, shining a torch on the ridiculousness of the situation.

“We kind of assume that this has become normal for us now,” he added.

Marking out the numbers 1 to 954 in chalk and causing a slight disruption as he moved through the town, Dylan decided to take on the hopscotch challenge himself, but invited others to take part if they wanted to.

“It’s something that’s going to be there so people can see it and if people want to do 954 hopscotches all the way through Enniskillen then great,” he said.

“As I’ve said before, I can only be responsible for the things I do and whilst I’m perfectly happy to call people and I probably will be saying to people if they want to join me on a regular thing shortly, but this is something that I can do because I’m in control of my actions,” he added.

As it approaches 1,000 days since Northern Ireland has had a functioning executive, Dylan has more plans to demonstrate.

“The idea is to do a regular thing on a weekly basis to try and build momentum towards the 1,000 days but also to try get some more regular communication about the need for change here so that when we do come to an election that there is a momentum for change,” he told The Impartial Reporter yesterday (Wednesday).

Dylan plans to start these regular gatherings on Saturday, September 7.