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VIOLENCE AGAIN broke out in the eastern part of Belfast last night, on the fourth successive night of protests against a council decision to end the year-round flying of the British flag over its headquarters.
The violence, which saw bricks and other projectiles fired at police officers, had followed a peaceful protest over Belfast City Council’s decision.
Barriers and bottles were thrown at PSNI officials as protestors returned to traditionally unionist areas after holding their demonstration at the nationalist Short Strand area.
Water cannons and plastic bullets were used to disperse the protestors. One PSNI officer was injured but did not require hospital treatment.
The violence occurred in the Newtownards Road, Albertbridge Road, Castlereagh Street and Templemore Avenue areas.
Police said they had come under “sustained attack” from crowds of over 100 who had thrown “petrol bombs, fireworks, bricks and other masonry”. A number of arrests were made.
A 38-year-old who was arrested as part of disturbances on Saturday night will meanwhile appear before Belfast Magistrates Court this morning.
The man will be charged with possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear or violence, and with riotous behaviour. He is also to be charged with failing to remove a disguise when asked to do so.
Belfast City Council will meet this evening for the first time since last month’s meeting, where nationalist councillors backed a motion from the Alliance Party to bring the city hall in line with other public buildings in Northern Ireland and only fly the British flag on designated days.
It is unlikely that the decision would be reversed, as the Alliance Party holds the balance of power on the council.
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why is everyone so surprised? Loyalists have a long record of threatning voilence and committing atrocities when they dont get their way. Time to stop appeasing them and come down on them hard to end their mindless thuggery for once and for all.
20 years ago, the people rioting would have been recruited in to the Ulster Defense Regiment, given guns and uniforms. As one English Colonel side about the UDR that if he kicked out everyone who was a loyalist paramilitary he would have no regiment left. 50 years ago they were paid to be part time police men in the B Specials.
Nowadays they are just a couple hundred yobs on the street in a Nationalist majority city. A reminder of the raw hatred and sectarian bigotry that defined and made the Northern state what it was.
Time for the Orcs to realize that Mordor has Tims and Micks and Paddys all over the place and more every day. They can stick around and share the massive changes coming as equal or fade in to the night. (Watched the box set at the weekend.)
Reversing the decision now would be giving into terrorism and would just show how much Northern Ireland is a “Democracy”.
For the majority of people in Belfast that flag is associated with discrimination, beatings, dead neighbours killed with impunity by soldiers or RUC men, always left off for it. Loyalist killers who seem to always know when the security forces would inexplicably withdraw from an area for a few hours.
The Next step is to have the tri colour flowing on another flag pole right beside the Union Jack. Let everybody smile and glare at each of them according to their own needs. Equality is about sucking it up too.
This story is not covered on BBC or Sky News. Wonder do these ‘loyalists’ know how much attention they’re getting from their homeland? Probably not, most respectable news agencies do not give these bigots the publicity they want.
There’s surely a more sinister agenda at play if the British media is ignoring dissident activity from the loyalists! There’d be round the clock coverage if it was republican protests!
You’re wrong there, Sky news are covering the story…
Possibly, but you’re opinion @Ted; but I don’t think it’s helpful to engage in speculation or hypothetical scenarios when talking about the North. The reality is bad enough.
Been watching Sky News all morning and their first significant mention was at 8.36 (which was approximately 20 second coverage).
It’s the main news story on their website under UK News.
Just to be clear, my comment referred to the TV channel news services. From around 6.45am to 8.35 the story was not mentioned. Despite the pedantic replies on here (which refer more to what’s on TV rather than the article) my point is that these bigots should not be given ANY publicity to promote and justify their hatred.
@Ted: that’s exactly it. They don’t want attention put on their own people. And yes if it was republicans it would have huge attention. The clocks have turned Sky so why don’t you show it.
They aren’t being given good publicity; the loyalists always complain how BBC, SKY, etc. aren’t “fair” or are “pro-Republican”. I think it’s great people are seeing their true colors and not just the negative segments which exist within Republicanism. The real British (from the island of Britain) have nothing in common really with the loyalists in terms of ideology, nationalism, culture, etc.
Watched a 10 minute informative segment on it last night on either BBC or Channel 4, can’t remember which. They interviewed a loyalist on the street and an expert from Queens.
From what I can see, they are dealing with it quite objectively.
http://twitamix.com/pages/sky-news.php Its sky’s main story in their headlines
BBC Radio 4 are also giving coverage.
Phoenix has an excellent article in the last issue, on the background UVF mobilisings and the funding interests.
Why not have a complete media blackout on the proposed loyalist protest in Dublin on Saturday If they are starved of publicity their protest will be futile
Its very easy!! Confine them to their own communities and let them destroy them their own people will soon come down on them
Do not let them protest down here, we will end up with another riot.
Because that worked so well when the Met Police tried to do that in North London…
The have the right to protest in Dublin, same as any of us have. That said we all know that the people that will be coming down will be overwhelmingly members of Loyalist paramilitaries and that it is provocation only. They are hoping for a riot so that they can say oh look the taigs are fighting too. The world is against poor us.
This really is the last kick of the Unionist wasp. It is all down hill in terms of power and control from here on in. The days of Unionist Ministers boasting of no Irish catholic in Govt. buildings bar the cleaners are well over.
These cabbages are doing more damage to the image of that flag than the lads who are folding it neatly away into a cupboard.
What’s their problem. Oh boo hoo they can’t wave a flag around to incite hatred with nationalists. Grow up and think of something better to revolt against. Like the fact that their are so many unemployment up there, or that the country is in a mess.
Stick the Union Jack where the sun don’t shine and for those thugs ship um back to Scotland the days of totally unionist power are dead and gone
they do destroy their own communities. Frequently. The local people support them or they are too intimidated to speak out. Locals don’t come down on paras, its pointless, foolish and dangerous. Worked for 4 years in east belfast and i can tell you those folks are hardcore. They ain’t changing. Removing the flag was always going to have an impact like this amongst a minority but the real danger lies in igniting misguided patriotism in what has been a reasonable majority.Imo the flag should not have been removed and the compromise was not enough. There are elements in the north for whom such issues are explosive.
And theres an even bigger element who view the flags presence as explosive.
Flag wasn’t removed. It’s there 17 days a year.
Time for to dose the thugs with valium.
A turkey shoot with a bag of rubber bullets Is the way forward
Wash the flag and put it back and let on that’s why you took it down is it worth it it is only a piece of coloured cloth
It’s a piece of coloured cloth that represents so much pain and suffering for some people. If it’s put back up now it’s letting the.bullies win. Violence is never the answer so why should they get what they want for destroying the place.
If they ‘win’ and the butchers apron is put back up year round what sign is that going to send to the IRA?If violence succeeds why should they wait years for a United Ireland just go about causing chaos and it will be handed to you on a plate.
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