Controlled explosion in Derry.

[BifsWif]

What is going on? Two controlled explosions this afternoon reported

Yes. There's no point whatsoever thinking about whether certain political decisions might be a motivating factor, and whether it might be a good idea not to force them on a population that doesn't want them and that also still has a number of not fully disarmed paramilitary groups. NI doesn't require analysis. When one of these actually goes off in someone's face, we'll all just blame the terrorists and that'll be that. It worked so well last time.

So why is the peace being disrupted now, Summertime?

What could possibly have prompted terrorists to start bombing Northern Ireland again now after years of relative peacefulness? Why now?

Well you may not be aware but the troubles have never completely gone away there has always been some level of activity, and what’s more why excuse or explain or justify terrorist actions...

I mean when we see terrorist activity in England like we have in recent years we don’t go excusing it or attributing it to x y or z that’s happening in the world it’s recognised as terrorism and denounced.

All the media speculation that Brexit could cause an outbreak of violence in N.I seems t have been a self fulfilling prophecy. Young morons who dont remember what it was like before are now trying to bring it all back to indulge their romantic fantasies. If they left it, N.I would eventually break away, if they push it with violence the Loyalistm will only grow much stronger

Bloody amazed brexiters arnt too ashamed to show their faces on threads like this.

While the bomb was undoubtedly awful, and the consequences could have been far worse, I don’t think it’s helpful to start talking about a ‘return to the bad old days’ because of this one incident, which may or may not be related to the highjackings. There have been around 1,100 incidents involving explosive devices in NI over the last ten years, so the incident at the weekend is far from unusual. The major difference is this time it went off, and now it’s being broadcast as evidence that NI will be destined to descend into violence because of Brexit. Media speculation that we’re heading back to the troubles is fuelling the scumbags that carry out these atrocious acts, and it’s sensationalist given the backdrop of the consistent level of threat from paramilitaries over the last ten/fifteen years.

I understand what you’re saying, but at the time of my posting there had been three events, and my friend tells me this morning that there was another security alert at a school and someone attempted to highjack a bus through the night. So five since Saturday.

For her at least, it certainly feels like things could quite easily return to how they were.

Yes Bifs there have been at least 4 hijackings in 24 hours. Two Creggan and two Galliagh. And that’s without anything new that has happened this morning yet.

Events of the past couple of days represent an escalation. That's why people who've got used to the post-Troubles scenario of ongoing low level paramilitary violence and dissident activity are frightened.

And really, saying blah blah terrorism don't make excuses for them just makes you sound bloody minded and thick summertime. The reason the Troubles ended is because people didn't take that approach.

I bet you don’t even live in Northern Ireland WaxMyBalls

They could drop a H bomb on n Ireland and it might make the news. DUP take note. No one gives a shit about you or your union. Westminster would sell you up the creek in a heartbeat if you didn't hold the majority in your tragic little hands.

Not any more no. My family who are there feel as I do, though, and I was last over a few days ago. Do feel free to engage with the actual point now levels of Ulster purity have been established.

I thought as much 😂😂😂😂

Thought? Doubt it. Still, I suppose you'll say anything in order to avoid having to defend your idiotic argument.

Yesterday was the centenary of the start of the Irish war of indrpendence, nothing really to do with Brexit.

Please tell me what’s funny about this thread Summer?

If you are honestly too closed sighted to think that there might be a correlation between what is occuring politically at the moment and an escalation in terrorism in Derry then there’s really no point in even trying to have a discussion with you.

Twenty years of peace in Northern Ireland and now all this has suddenly happened, yet people seriously believe it's absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Brexit. Wise up FFS!

I hope all the leavers are happy now.

But there hasn’t been twenty years of peace in Northern Ireland - far from it in fact. Yes, the events over the past few days represent a low level of escalation, but given that all of the incidents bar the first have been confirmed as hoaxes I think it’s more likely that the security services are on high alert (as they should be). My point is that the media seizing on the events of this weekend as definitive proof that Brexit will cause a return to the troubles is adding fuel to the fire, encouraging the idiots who are responsible, when really security incidents are still depressingly common. Having said that, it does feel scary and I sympathise hugely with the people who have been affected.

They weren’t confirmed as hoaxes - the suspected bombs inside were hoaxes. Vans were actually hijacked at gun point in this highly organised method. Which is an escalation from what has been happening over the past few years. More organisation means they’ve probably managed to recruit and probably are also getting the nod from higher up. Anyone who claims there is no link to fears about ‘the border’ and their rights enshrined in the GFA is naive or has questionable motives.

The lack of reporting has always been deliberate. The planned bombings in Gibralter- the IRA admitted it was a tactic to take up a huge amount of press coverage rather than the small column they would get for shooting at a few British soldiers.

My point is that the media seizing on the events of this weekend as definitive proof that Brexit will cause a return to the troubles is adding fuel to the fire

Where have the media done this? The Derry carbomb as initially reported on the BBC was (a) in no way being linked to Brexit and (b) an afterthought, considerably lower in importance than an elderly royal and his seatbelt -- if the media have started linking the two in subsequent coverage, as they presumably have, because it's an obvious available reading of the situation, it certainly didn't figure in initial reporting.

And I would say that the difference between this and the low-level paramilitary rumbling that has never gone away since the GFA is that this made a (slight) dent in the UK media, unlike the vast majority of incidents over the last 20 years.