Loyalists in Belfast missing a trick.?

[Stoneinwelly]

Watching the news on the rioting in N.I. Aibu in thinking the loyalists could turn the whole flag raising and lowering business to their advantage?
Nobody really notices a flag up everyday iykwim but one hoisted for special occasions would get more attention. They could get the bugle out ,like Ypres,
and have a cake and pictures for really special days like Earl of Essex' B.D.

[apostropheuse]

I'm Scottish, but don't feel "British". That could be because I'm only second generation Scottish though and my family background is Irish, so I grew up listening to the Irish situation. It does definitely influence how I see Britain. Or I should say Britain's role in Ireland.

I just hope a peaceful resolution is found. There's been enough bloodshed.

[AhhYouWillYouWill]

That's interesting about the union flag being the only legal one.

I'm in a mixed marriage and due to my husband's name being obviously Catholic we had to stretch ourselves when buying a house so we didn't live in a flaggy / kerbstones painted area. Even with that, our next door neighbours put a huge union jack up where we could see it after we moved in. I'm protestant and it still made me anxious because it was so obviously done to make a point.

I personally would prefer that NI remains in the UK. I dont feel particularly British but I don't feel particularly Irish either, if the majority of the population of NI voted to split from the UK and join Ireland then fair enough. At the minute the flag is now flying on the same days as it does on Buckingham Palace if that's not good enough for the rioters then they need their heads examined.

I can hear the helicopter out, they must be kicking off again

[GoingVerySlowlyMad]

I find it pretty ridiculous that the Loyalist community are shouting about their culture and how it is being diminshed because the flag won't fly everyday. It doesn't fly everyday in most places on the mainland, we don't feel any less British because of it!

I have to say that I am an outsider living in Belfast with no affiliations to either side. The real shame here is the amount of money being spent on policing all this trouble when we are in real economic dire straits and it could be better spent elsewhere. The rioters are showing themselves to be utterly selfish and totally uneducated IMO.

[scarlettsmummy2]

I am NI protestant and am really struggling to see what the problem is with the flag only be flown on certain days. Whether loyalists like it or not a large proportion of the population do not want the union jack up at all. Compromise has to be made. It was democratically decided that it wouldn't fly all the time. Accept it and move on, and focus on the real issue of why young people in loyalist areas feel its ok to riot- why have they been continually failed by society and what are the DUP doing about it???

[scarlettsmummy2]

I should also say- it would not bother me one bit if the Irish flag was to fly alongside the British in recognition of the fact that citizens in NI identify with both flags. NI will never move on if people on both sides don't get a grip.

[bureni]

Again the flag issue so lets study the facts, was there any protests or riots against the flag being there?.... answer.... no there was not, was there a political move made to remove the flag?.....answer , of course there was and it was well planned out to coincide with the Ulster Covenant. Folk need to remember that these Sinn Fein folk that opppose the union flag were also the convicted and time served terrorists than bombed the U.K during the 1980s and 1990s

[Booyhoo]

"All the current political party leaders should be sacked being not fit for purpose imo."

totally agree. time NI moved into the 21st century and stopped pandering to terrorists, never mind having them in government. it needs completely overhauled IMO. new faces, new policies, new practices. no terrorists!

[bureni]

Goingveryslow, Yes, I echo your very valid point on waste of police rescources, it is a waste of time and money but just a mere drop in the ocean compared to the riots in England which cost millions within a couple of days.

[KobayashiMaru]

Citizens of NI can have an Irish passport or a British one. So why can't they fly an Irish flag as well as a british one?

People screaming about this meaning that their culture and Britishness are being removed are just pathetic. You've already WON, you're in the UK, not Ireland. You have the pound, the Queen, you have the lot. Not flying a damn flag all the bloody time is affecting YOUR culture how?

[bureni]

thank you booyho, just sack the lot of them and let Dublin or should I say thier Brussels masters pick up the bill instead of the British tax payer.

[bureni]

Koyay, we have the pound and the Euro. Do you want a foreign flag over your capital city instead of your own national flag? Woud you feel offended by a foreign flag instead of your own national flag?

[Monty27]

Bureni it's 'fleg' not 'flag'

Sorry, but it is a load of bollox.

Welsh and Scottish can fly their own flags in their own countries. NI is the Island or Ireland.

[Monty27]

*of

There is a share of power, now let's play nicely.

[bureni]

Monty, Scotland got its name from the invading Irish Scoti tribes so perhaps the Scottish should return to so called Ireland as well, what do you think?

[KobayashiMaru]

You don't really have the Euro, some shops may accept it but thats business. Some shops in my capital city take the pound. Doesn't mean much.

We have flags from all sorts of places flying in our city. Why would that offend me? Thats because we're a modern nation who are well over our fighting and rioting.

Typical lies and obfuscation though..the issue is NOT about flying a foreign aflag INSTEAD of your own, it was about not flying the union flag all the time. You know, like the vast majority of UK cities. £7 million pounds wasted policing these riots....what a waste! And now they want to bring their "protests" here? They can bugger off and keep there mess to themselves.

[Monty27]

That's interesting Bureni, I'm certainly intrigued by the sectarianism in Scotland (I've only been acquainted with it recently, in the last couple of years).

Yep, send them back, I agree.

[bureni]

Kobaya, the English riots which lasted 3 days cost 300 million in 2011, do the maths

[GoingVerySlowlyMad]

bureni Yes but when you consider that the riots in England were pretty much a one off and only occurred once that year. Rioting occurs at least twice a year over here and both sides are guilty. IIRC the nationalists always kick off at the Ardoyne shops on the 12th July. It all adds up over here, then we have our lovely politicians complaining that NI is isolated financially and they don't receive enough funding!

[Monty27]

Going there's more riots brewing, Stephen Lawrence's brother has taken a case out against the police for harassment....

Batten down the hatches. The riots here (England) have never been resolved.

[bureni]

goingveryslowly, the riots in England far exceeded anything that ever happened in N.I. N.I has the lowest crime rate of all of the U.K by a clean mile mostly down to having a proper equipped and trained police force that can deal with these situations.

[Monty27]

Which 'side' to send back though? I'm not a historian, we didn't 'do' Scotland where I came from, and hence my ignorance.

But I do believe Ireland is Irish. All of it.

[KobayashiMaru]

Why would I do any maths about English riots? I'm not English and I don't live there.

Obama's mother is white and part Irish, whats hard to understand there? Pretty sure the Irish never invaded then kept a whole section of America then complained about flying an American flag.........

[bureni]

Really, why do Americans mostly claim to be Irish then?

[Monty27]

The famine?