Search Results for “flag protest” – Page 3 – Slugger O'Toole

Flags – Can we now have a sensible debate?

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on February 19, 2013, 8:30 am | Readers 66

Last night at Platform for Change‘s Flags – Can we now have a sensible conversation? event, 120 or more people crammed into a room in the Holiday Inn to hear from nine local political representatives and to pose their questions. The two hour event, chaired by Robin Wilson, started with each panellist being given the opportunity to outline their position on the flag debate. listen to ‘Part 1/5 Flags – can we now have a serious debate? @platform4change’ on Audioboo …

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Time for Unionism to find a place for the Irish National flag in Northern Ireland

Chris Donnelly on February 19, 2013, 7:00 am | Readers 185

The Platform for Change discussion on Flags at Belfast’s Holiday Inn last night focused partially on the possibility of an agreed resolution to the Flags Row which could be implemented consistently across the newly proposed eleven local government councils. It was a fairly tame affair, though multiple contributions by loyalist flag protesters (including one lasting for what seemed like 5 minutes in spite of the polite yet vain pleadings of Robin Wilson for said man to concede the floor to …

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[Corrected] over half of southerners think restriction of Union flag in Belfast was wrong…

Mick Fealty on January 10, 2013, 5:36 pm | Readers 88

Well, southerners may not have been impressed with the shenanigans of Loyalist protesters, but it is clear they’re not impressed with the move to take the ‘flag from the pole’ either. Here’s the latest Red C findings: Over half of those surveyed, 57pc, felt Belfast city council was wrong to restrict the flying of the Union flag at Belfast city hall. Update: From the official report, courtesy of JR below: Over half of those that expressed an opinion (57%) suggest …

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Willie calls off the Dublin protest…

Mick Fealty on January 9, 2013, 5:10 pm | Readers 71

News Letter have Willie Fraser’s statement: After very constructive communication’s with the Garda Siochana I can confirm that we will now be travelling down on a date in the near future to discuss our many concerns around IRA collusion and many other issue’s. “I will keep you all informed as to when this meeting will now take place. This will be a very welcome day when we as concerned Ulster citizens and victims of the IRA will be given the …

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Now here’s a thought. The Union Jack is not the flag of Unionism

Brian Walker on January 9, 2013, 12:12 pm | Readers 179

The raising of the Union Jack for a day over the City Hall (not “City Hall”, BBC) creates a welcome moment of reflection for the political parties. Looking around them, they can surely see that the protests do not have the oxygen to ignite a real crisis, as Eamonn has reported. The persistence of disorder and protest is of course damaging but recoverable. The already narrow ground of serious disaffection has been exposed as getting narrower. Everyone understands that escalation that can …

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The First Shades of God (Jamie Bryson): unremarkable theology, but an insight into the mind of the protest-organiser

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on January 7, 2013, 10:42 pm | Readers 824

Jamie Bryson has come to prominence recently as one of the leaders of the flag protests across Northern Ireland. As Chris Donnelly pointed out in his post (and was echoed later in the Belfast Telegraph), Jamie Bryson is a well known loyalist in North Down where he unsuccessfully stood at the council elections under the banner of the new party Community Partnership Northern Ireland Vice chair of the North Down Somme Association, he was not welcome to take part in …

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“…a disruptive loyalist protest outside an empty Leinster House on a busy retail day”

Mick Fealty on January 7, 2013, 3:23 pm | Readers 65

So, now it is the SDLP who are getting it in the neck from the flag protesters. Patsy McGlone (who has said nothing on the matter, so far as Slugger is aware, but who is unfortunate enough to live in a UVF dominant part of the world) has had a bullet in the post. And Claire Hanna has had her house shot up. The Police Service of Northern Ireland has confirmed the incident involving East Belfast nationalist politician Claire Hanna …

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Flags, Nationalists and the Contested Law of Equality

Better Together on January 6, 2013, 10:10 pm | Readers 100

Much discussions over the past month in Northern Ireland has centred around the aftermath of the decision of Belfast City Council to move away from its 106-year old tradition of flying the Union flag every day, to one of only flying it on a maximum of twenty designated days. Whilst much has been written, understandably, with regard to the appalling scenes of violence and ongoing loyalist protests, this issue opens up much deeper issues around the nature of the accord …

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“until there is a change in the balance of power in City Hall, the flag decision won’t be reversed”

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on January 4, 2013, 8:15 am | Readers 75

Jackie McDonald is no stranger to speaking his mind and at times seeming out of kilter with loyalist group think. A few days ago in an interview with the Belfast Telegraph, he outlined his opinion on the current flags debacle. I share the anger in the loyalist community but somebody needs to stand up and tell the truth, which is that the flag is not going to go up again without an election or agreement … Sinn Fein has achieved …

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UVF protests signal anxiety over pending supergrass trial?

Mick Fealty on December 21, 2012, 8:59 am | Readers 276

This morning on RTE Tommie Gorman put his finger on something that’s been little talked about in the wider media so far regarding the unanticipated levels of street protest. In fact it has little to do with the politics of City Hall and everything to do with the HET putting a tight squeeze on the UVF. In particular minds in that organisation are being concentrated by the re-emergence of the supergrass trial format. In particular the position of Gary Haggarty: …

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#Flegs unrest, protest and threats are the price we pay for not giving moderates a voice

Mick Fealty on December 14, 2012, 1:02 pm | Readers 71

Good piece from Peter Geogehegan in the Scotsman today… If the secular middle classes exude an air of lethargic resignation, the opposite is the case in impoverished housing estates across Northern Ireland, especially those where kerbstones are painted red, white and blue. Many of the protests sparked by the decision to remove the Union Flag from Belfast City Hall have been small affairs, orchestrated in staunchly loyalist neighbourhoods far from town centres, but the cumulative effect has been striking. For …

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Loyalists seek to ratchet up sectarian ante as Unionist MLAs protest outside Long’s office 24 hrs after murder bid

Chris Donnelly on December 11, 2012, 10:27 pm | Readers 72

As the loyalists protests continue to garner small numbers, it would appear that loyalists are resorting to the age old tactic of seeking to provoke conflict with their catholic neighbours in order to sustain the road blocking campaign. In Armagh last night, loyalists attacked a catholic-owned bar whilst a number of road blocking protests continue to be organised at interface areas across Belfast, including at the Broadway roundabout and Hesketh Road/ Crumlin Road junction in North Belfast, where loyalists erected …

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Political words this morning; but still violent protests and an attempted murder this evening

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on December 10, 2012, 9:33 pm | Readers 74

This morning the parties up on the hill got to put their feelings about flags, protests and intimidation on the record. That this Assembly unequivocally condemns the rioting and the campaign of intimidation, harassment and violent attacks on elected representatives following the decision of Belfast City Council in relation to the flying of the Union flag; expresses its sympathy to all those who have been attacked, injured or threatened with attack in recent days, including police officers, elected representatives and …

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Aaron and Brian’s Sunday View: Flags and a Visit of an old friend

Aaron&Brian on December 9, 2012, 2:09 pm | Readers 52

This week the news was dominated by two events, the vote on reducing the number of days that the union flag is to be flown at Belfast City Hall, which has been flown at City Hall since it opened on 1906 and the visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The vote brought an angry call from the unionist community which led to people protesting on the streets which consequently turned violent. This has caused damage across various parts …

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City Hall #Fleg Riots: “This argument over the Union Flag has been divisive and unnecessary from its outset…”

Mick Fealty on December 4, 2012, 11:49 am | Readers 93

The dark seam of comedy running through last night’s vote at the Belfast City Hall is such that this morning, few ordinary citizens of Belfast will notice whether there is a flag there or not. The councillors obviously will. Nationalism’s delicious revenge will be as one moderate nationalist put it that “unionists will now just get to stare at an empty pole”. Rushing the City Hall after the vote was announced, and then taking it out on St Mathews Church …

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Inside a war of words; outside traffic disruption, flag burning, brick throwing and storming the City Hall

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on December 3, 2012, 10:35 pm | Readers 64

Democracy in action tonight. A decision made (democratically) in a Belfast City Council committee – not with everyone’s agreement but a decision following the procedures nonetheless – was brought to the full council for debate and ratification. While the exchanges could be described as a war of words, a democratic process was followed and a recorded vote taken. The vote 29/21 passed Alliance’s proposal to fly the Union Flag on designated days only over Belfast City Hall (and not over …

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Unionist violence after flag vote…

Belfast Gonzo on December 3, 2012, 9:29 pm | Readers 55

AS predictably as night follows day, unionist protesters have turned to violence after tonight’s City Hall vote to restrict the flying of the Union Flag to designated days. Trouble erupted in and around the City Hall itself, but is right now spreading to other areas, noteably East Belfast. A number of police have been injured, and two female officers taken to hospital. You can leave reports of any trouble you observe below.

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Who needs bus lanes when a flag might block the Belfast traffic?

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on December 2, 2012, 10:11 pm | Readers 86

The Continental Market at the front of the City Hall will be open until 8pm on Monday evening, enticing visitors and shoppers to wander around the stalls and feel good about Belfast. Around the back of the City Hall, a rally will be held at 5.45pm on Monday evening to protest at the likelihood that the full Belfast City Council meeting at 6pm will vote to reduce the number of days that the Union Flag flies from the civic building. …

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Ériu protest: We’ll see your Constitutional Monarch and up you with our mythical Goddess!

Mick Fealty on June 27, 2012, 9:49 am | Readers 70

There’s a little patch of the Black Mountain (or Divis, I’m never sure which) that generations of trainee nurses in the City Hospital used to call ‘the smoothing iron’. Well, yesterday it was joined by a set of large letters saying “Eriu is our Queen” and a large Irish tricolour. Seamus is keeping an eye on the situation… now that a Loyalist counter protest has emerged… The Guardian reports there was at least one injury in the fighting that ensure …

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“We have a very developed flag flying policy here in the borough”

Chris Donnelly on July 10, 2011, 10:27 am | Readers 41

Loyalist paramilitaries seem to have been behind rioting in the County Antrim town of Ballyclare last night. The disturbances occurred after loyalists had blocked roads earlier in the day around the village to protest at the PSNI’s removal of a small number of loyalist flags erected in the village. Violence was also reported in nearby loyalist estates in Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey. Perhaps there needs to be an urgent meeting at Stormont to clarify the price being demanded the issues causing such …

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