Belfast Gonzo

Love Ulster spreading hate..?

Belfast Gonzo on September 11, 2005, 5:17 am

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AS Mark McGregor noted here earlier, there’s someone posting on the Love Ulster site who seemed to know about tonight’s rioting well in advance. Presumably the authorities will be interested, as they have already shown in another current case where documents relating to terrorism were downloaded.Questions have already been been raised about the part paramilitaries have played in the LU campaign, and the fact that the DUP and UUP leaders had been expected to speak to a rally at the …

Too many ‘rights’…?

Belfast Gonzo on September 11, 2005, 3:31 am

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MI5 chief Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller has asked the British public to discuss which of its liberties it is prepared to sacrifice in the war against terrorism.The BBC reports: The central dilemma, said Dame Eliza – director general of MI5 – was how to protect citizens within the rule of law when “fragile” intelligence did not amount to clear cut evidence. Such intelligence was often not enough to support criminal charges in the courts, she said. “We can believe, correctly, that …

Public Service Announcement…

Belfast Gonzo on September 11, 2005, 3:26 am

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SOME contributors have already posted some useful information on what’s happening around Belfast today on this thread. However, it might be more convenient for everyone if we posted updates on the rioting in the comments of this one. If there’s trouble out there, let all of us know where to avoid. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Look east…

Belfast Gonzo on September 11, 2005, 2:23 am

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AT the British Irish Association meeting in Cambridge, the Secretary of State has again spoken about the introduction of community police officers. Hain argues that they have been “successful in Great Britain”, but how will they go down here?Last year, Association of Chief Police Officers president Chris Fox said: “What we don’t know is how their authority will hold up if challenged.” Obviously that would happen on a daily basis here. Couple that with inexperience, a lack of UK standards …

Just the facts please…?

Belfast Gonzo on September 11, 2005, 1:59 am

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EVAN Davis takes a look at the kinds of choices journalists must make when presenting news. There’s fine line between comment and bias, he admits, but does merely presenting the facts really do a story justice if those facts are incomprehensible to the audience?Remembering that the “facts” may be true, but already presented to the journalist with a certain emphasis by whoever commissioned them, and that decisions have to made about which facts and figures to use too, it means …

Loyalists going ape…

Belfast Gonzo on September 11, 2005, 1:14 am

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OK, so let’s get this straight – a chimp escapes from the zoo and the police fire warning shots at it. A few days later, the police come under automatic gunfire and bomb attack and they contain the situation by firing sponge-tipped plastic bullets and giving the rioters a free shower. Go figure. Jonathan McCambridge explains the new thin green line the PSNI find themselves walking along.Jonathan McCambridge writes: Throughout the summer senior police officers have been left exasperated by …

Make Tacky Jingoist Political Campaigns History…

Belfast Gonzo on September 10, 2005, 11:33 am

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NO sooner was the Shankill Mirror (still not updated online) off the presses announcing the Love Ulster campaign than Martin McGuinness steps up to present the equally catchy Make Partition History campaign. With total decommissioning imminent (if not already complete), this should convince republican doubters – how can it be surrender when everyone is celebrating? At least it’s guaranteed to get better press than Love Ulster did. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Policing plan confirmed…

Belfast Gonzo on September 10, 2005, 11:03 am

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AS predicted on Slugger, the Government has said it is to introduce “community support officers” to Northern Ireland, and has ruled out people with terrorist convictions joining the police. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see how Sinn Fein reacts to them, and how its position evolves. Are locally-recruited community police units the vehicles that will eventually take republicans into policing? Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Diplock court for Al-Qaeda suspect…

Belfast Gonzo on September 10, 2005, 5:41 am

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ANOTHER ‘first’ for Northern Ireland – an Algerian has become the first person to stand trial on terrorist charges who isn’t a loyalist or republican. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

A fairer reflection..?

Belfast Gonzo on September 10, 2005, 5:06 am

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The head of Britain’s election watchdog has backed a review of the voting system and accepts that switching to proportional representation could offer a “better reflection” of the public’s political views, according to Marie Wolff. There have been calls for PR-STV to be introduced here for Westminster elections (we already use it for council, European and Assembly elections). If the Government is considering it for the UK as a whole, might it see NI as a guinea-pig in waiting..? Belfast …

Where were you..?

Belfast Gonzo on September 10, 2005, 4:47 am

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BBC shock jock Stephen Nolan has egg on his face after he had to keep a promise to pay more than £1,600 to charity “after rashly predicting England would thrash Northern Ireland”. There are plenty of stories surrounding the Big Match, which seems destined to enter the realms of Norn Irish sporting legend. Even the BBC got in on the act, with a beautifully cheeky gloating graphic that caused more than a few double-takes.There are text messages and emails floating …

Standing up for the Ulstermen…

Belfast Gonzo on September 8, 2005, 5:56 am

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DAVID Gordon is proud to stand up for the Ulstermen, and takes Robin Livingstone to task for his rather bitter dig at Northern Irish football the other day. Leaving aside the politics of supporting the ‘national’ team, the truth of the matter is that Windsor Park internationals have changed immeasurably since the bad old days – which reached a nadir in 2001. It’s time people gave the IFA and NI fans the credit they deserve for turning things around.Stand up …

Just like watching Brazil…!

Belfast Gonzo on September 8, 2005, 2:40 am

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NORTHERN Ireland have just beaten the English football team 1-0 in one of the biggest upsets I can remember – unbelievable! Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

UVF sends children to fight police…

Belfast Gonzo on September 7, 2005, 9:03 am

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A CHILD of five has been cautioned by police for being involved in serious rioting in the Shankill area of north Belfast. Police say the kids are organising their “recreational riots” using mobile phone text messages, without outside (school) involvement.The riots, too late to make the latest IMC report, ostensibly were the “community response” to “heavy-handed policing” during house searches. The searches – carried out in the wake of a UVF “show of strength” – turned up a gun and …

Playing with the big boys…

Belfast Gonzo on September 6, 2005, 7:48 am

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OWEN and the England crew have arrived in Northern Ireland. They haven’t been here for a while, so Healy will, I hope, make the best of the opportunity. Realistically, we can’t hope for much, but – despite the good result against Azerbaijan and poor English performances of late – it’s still important for Lawrie Sanchez’s future here that the team is seen to do its best. Beckham isn’t the only player that can take a decent free kick, right?. When …

Not Brazil. Norn Iron…

Belfast Gonzo on September 3, 2005, 9:42 pm

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NORTHERN Ireland have just won their first home game at Windsor Park in four years – with TWO set piece goals! It was only Azerbaijan (who are, I believe joint 116th in the world with ourselves), but hopefully it will give the team a lift before the England match on Wednesday. No Sproule and a small victory, but – at last – a reason to be cheerful. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Blame the parents..?

Belfast Gonzo on September 2, 2005, 8:11 pm

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TONY Blair has called for parents to take their responsibilities more seriously, as he launched a new drive against bad parenting and anti-social behaviour. As Tony knows all too well, you can’t keep your eye on the kids all of the time (maybe he picked the wrong role model !), so he wants families to teach children to respect others. Closer to home, children are copping criticism from the Chief Constable for (allegedly) being involved rioting and sectarian attacks recently. …

Society breaks down in New Orleans…

Belfast Gonzo on September 2, 2005, 7:47 pm

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A STATE of complete chaos and anarchy appears to have erupted in a New Orleans clearly unprepared for the after-effects of Hurricane Katrina. As bodies float down streets, people are being raped in the supposed sanctuary of the Superdome, explosions are going off and gunmen are firing at rescue helicopters. USA Today reports Gov. Kathleen Blanco saying that hundreds of National Guardsmen who served in Iraq have landed in New Orleans – and they won’t be using plastic bullets. “They …

Mixed messages over murder…

Belfast Gonzo on September 2, 2005, 6:01 pm

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THE DUP’S Ruth Patterson put forward a motion in Belfast City Council last night expressing sympathy to the family of UVF murder victim Craig McCausland (20) and urging politicians to urge anyone with information to contact the police. Councillor David Ervine of the PUP (which has links to the UVF) left the council chamber before the vote, while Sinn Fein abstained on the vote, saying it was politically motivated. It may well have been, but who should witnesses contact if …

Going gaa-gaa over flags…

Belfast Gonzo on September 2, 2005, 5:46 pm

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I wonder if the Irish News had discovered what the mysterious flags erected on the Ormeau Road were a day earlier would this riot have happened?! During the trouble, loyalists threw petrol bombs into the police car park opposite Donegal Pass PSNI station. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com