Monday, July 10, 2006
City Council-sponsored bonfire at City Hospital
Chris Donnelly @ 06:52 PM
I was past that site on the Donegall Rd on Fri and today when it was freshly painted (complete with a swastika), which has between the times been painted over.
100 m or less down the rd are 2houses with a swastika painted on one of the doors.These are both abondoned by the occupants and there is a steel gate over both of them.Posted by on Jul 10, 2006 @ 07:21 PMForgot to mention that there was a white washed sign on chipboard leaning against the railingswhich was....
“You Don’t Have to Be a GENIUS to Build Bonfires.....BUT IT HELPS
(their emphasis)A reference to Guiness perhaps tho i thought buckfast and tennants were the preferred tipple
Posted by on Jul 10, 2006 @ 07:31 PMHaving reviewed from today FTRA & KAT have also been painted over.
Posted by on Jul 10, 2006 @ 07:44 PM1. This is the usual site for a bonfire so its siting does not have some hidden undertone.
2. As I understand it, the Daily Ireland’s information is incorrect about the City Council funding the bonfire site featured in this article. It is another bonfire site further along the Donegall Road. I went round and checked earlier and it seems to be complying with the City Council requirements.
3. As for the graffiti, paramilitary flags etc that is a disgrace.Posted by on Jul 10, 2006 @ 07:54 PMWell done Jackie McDonald and the uff, another step forward for unionism & well worth the funding !!
KAT : Kill All Taigs
ATAT : All Taigs Are Targets
Swastikas painted on the houses of former foreign nationals living in the area.
Roll on the orange fest !!
Posted by on Jul 10, 2006 @ 08:04 PMCareful Frank. Attacking racism apparently makes one a racist.
Posted by on Jul 10, 2006 @ 08:10 PMAnd while all this is going on, unionists have the gall to accuse the SDLP of being ‘sectarian’ because they don’t have any desire to support a useless partitionist football team. Just shows how skewed things are here that they seem to think it’s ok to hold the place to ransom for weeks with bonfire monstrosities and sectarian graffiti and flags and loyalist riots, yet take offence at an uppity-fenian not dancing to their tune regarding the rubbish NI team.
Posted by on Jul 10, 2006 @ 08:11 PMThese bonfires in public places are an affront to decency. There is presently one under construction on the Linfield Road near Sandy Row, blocking access and disrupting business in a business park where several hundred people are employed. Ordinary decent folks who just want to do a day’s work cannot possibly condone these bonfires.
I’m not in any way convinced that the bonfires are popular. Local people know that they damage the road surface, crack the windows on local houses, and leach toxic chemicals into the air, and create a bad impression in the neighbourhood. Worst of all they attract paramiltary shows of strength, all night drinking and loud music. Some bonfires are placed on grassy areas and football pitches, rendering them useless and depriving local kids of a place to play. They know I’m sure that a lot of people condemned to having paramilitary scum live among them are suffering in silence. As usual nobody - not even unionist politicians - are there to stand up for them. There’s certainly nobody to stand up for the rights of the people who the bonfires are clearly designed, with their effigies of the pope and tricolours on top, to intimidate.
I can’t reasonably object to people celebrating the 11th night but couldn’t they do it in a way which does not involve paramilitary heavies, and destruction of public property ? The next time the rates go up remember the bill for cleaning up this crap.
Posted by on Jul 10, 2006 @ 08:21 PMEl Matador, I’m not sure off the top of my head which SDLP figures support the FAI’s breakaway football team.
;-)
But, sure, if your wee moan makes you feel better, however tangential your point is!
(Back on topic, I have to agree: some of the bonfires in urban areas are out of order. But, then, bonfires are a tradition. What way do they do the Guy Fawkes’ ones?)
Posted by on Jul 10, 2006 @ 08:27 PMFair_Deal: “1. This is the usual site for a bonfire so its siting does not have some hidden undertone. “
Will the be paying for the clean up and repair to the parking lot? Or is this simply going be another case of “Spides will be spides” and the community at large will have to pay for the damage?
Posted by on Jul 10, 2006 @ 08:36 PMDC
The ‘car park’ is bit of a misnomer. It was/is a scrap of waste ground outside the City Hospital gates between the road entrance and the next street. Hence why it has been used as a bonfire site for years.
The builders put up a temporary fence and stones on the ground to make some parking spaces for the management on the site. The fire will damage the temporary fence and the stones. If they choose to replace it I presume the builders will pick up the cost of replacing the fence and stones.
Posted by on Jul 10, 2006 @ 08:46 PMMeanwhile, over at Ravenhill:
SDLP South Belfast MP Dr Alasdair McDonnell said he is alarmed to see that tyres have appeared at the bonfire site at Park Parade, Ravenhill Road, Belfast.
He said: “The City Council and the Environment and Heritage Service of the Department of the Environment must move quickly to remove them. We must hold the line on tyre-burning over the next couple of days.
“It cannot be emphasised too much how much harm they can do. Burning tyres release 52 known toxic substances of which several are dioxins, just about the most dangerous substances in the world. Tests at older bonfire sites show that the dioxins remain in the ground for years.
“The choice is simple. Either bonfires are being organised by responsible people who will not permit this type of thing, or the authorities should close them down now with police help if necessary.”
Let’s see if anything is done, or if these idiots are allowed to continue to do as they please, regardless of the financial or environmental cost to society.
Posted by on Jul 10, 2006 @ 08:48 PMDread, well said. We may disagree on US politics but you’ve definitely got a good grasp on this. Spides will be spides is exactly the policy. Perhaps more succinctly, “spides will be spides, we better not mess with them or we’ll have a civil war”.
What sickens me is less the hands-off attitude of the authorities, more the fact that unionist politicians stay absolutely schtum while paramilitaries stage minature coups, complete with bonfires, Nazi insignia (right after the commemoration of the Somme - I can’t think of a more putrid stinking insult to those who gave the sacrifice) and random sectarian insults.
Posted by on Jul 10, 2006 @ 08:51 PMComrade Stalin: “Dread, well said. We may disagree on US politics but you’ve definitely got a good grasp on this. Spides will be spides is exactly the policy. Perhaps more succinctly, “spides will be spides, we better not mess with them or we’ll have a civil war”. “
Thank you—you’re pretty good yourself. And we don’t have to agree. My nation, my problem, my job to try and fix next time around.
Sad part is, all I ever wanted from a national election was a choice of two sets of real ideas. Hasn’t happened yet.
Comrade Stalin: “What sickens me is less the hands-off attitude of the authorities, more the fact that unionist politicians stay absolutely schtum while paramilitaries stage minature coups, complete with bonfires, Nazi insignia (right after the commemoration of the Somme - I can’t think of a more putrid stinking insult to those who gave the sacrifice) and random sectarian insults. “
To chastise them would A) be alienating their electorate and B) acknowledging A. They don’t do the former because they like being elected. They don’t do the latter because it would reveal what hypocrites they are.
Posted by on Jul 10, 2006 @ 09:04 PMCS
“right after the commemoration of the Somme - I can’t think of a more putrid stinking insult to those who gave the sacrifice”
Well said. I think this is the second time we have agreed on something.
Posted by on Jul 10, 2006 @ 09:05 PMThe bonfire at Belvoir/Shaws bridge is now the height of a five storey building thanks to some assistance from a mechanical loader. As with every other year this flaming collection of pallets, old sofas, and other bits of toxic landfill will no doubt fall onto the adjacent main road and burn up the tarmac.
I echo the points made by Comrade Stalin. Do local people really want a burning pile of waste polluting their neighbourhood and destroying the main road. Of course gainfully supervised by the local neds and heavies. The silent majority loses again to fear and intimidation.
Posted by on Jul 10, 2006 @ 09:06 PMVery light westerly winds predicted. Looks like East Belfast and North Down are to get the dioxins.
Posted by on Jul 10, 2006 @ 10:01 PMFair_Deal: “The ‘car park’ is bit of a misnomer. It was/is a scrap of waste ground outside the City Hospital gates between the road entrance and the next street. Hence why it has been used as a bonfire site for years.”
I can think of a host of criminal offences, ranging from trespass and littering… one wonders why the Hospital administrators would countenance this intrusion…
Fair_Deal: “The builders put up a temporary fence and stones on the ground to make some parking spaces for the management on the site. The fire will damage the temporary fence and the stones. If they choose to replace it I presume the builders will pick up the cost of replacing the fence and stones. “
Okay… spides will be spides…
Posted by on Jul 10, 2006 @ 10:27 PMAquifer, trying to figure your last statement out “ light WESTERLY Winds looks like East Belfast and North Down get the Dioxins??? Prey tell me what compass you are using?? even using Google earth I still cold’nt figure out how a light westerly wind from Shaws Bridge or Donegal Road ends up on the Newtownards Road??
Posted by on Jul 11, 2006 @ 12:26 AMHandy man, leave the posting to those who know what the hell their on about. Go away and look up what a westerly wind is.
Posted by on Jul 11, 2006 @ 02:13 AM“the Hospital administrators would countenance this intrusion… “
There is no intrusion the piece of ground is outside the Hospital gates and permanent fence.
Posted by on Jul 11, 2006 @ 08:44 AMThese bonfires are not deisgned nor never will get cross community support so why not just stop talking bollocks about it Chris?
Why does everything need cross community support? Why is it so desirable all the time anyway?
Posted by on Jul 11, 2006 @ 08:49 AMGav,
I live in a very multicultural area of Central London. I can’t remember people painting swastikas on flats lived in by Africans or Eastern Europeans. Nor can I remember wanting to get the f out of London in early November the way I always wanted to get the f out of Belfast in early July.
Nor can I remember being called a ‘fenian bastard’ for walking down the street minding by own business just because the street happened to be an orange marching route.
Posted by on Jul 11, 2006 @ 09:10 AMfences,ntl green boxes,....put where there has been a traditional bonfire on the 11th night for 100 years or more,...daily ireland must be stuck for news,....i remember finaghy had a fire at every junction, locksley pk,doon end,torr way,orlock sq,glenarm sq,benmore drive x 2, now there is 1,some drop in 20 years,…
Posted by on Jul 11, 2006 @ 09:34 AMPerhaps its the health boards fault for building a hospital so close to a traditional bonfire site !!
I mean, who needs a state of the art cancer centre when the boyos on the corner are poisoning everyone with toxic fumes anyway.
Posted by on Jul 11, 2006 @ 10:14 AM
