[Closed] Flying (Not) the Union Jack over Belfast town hall?

Pfft! Bloody revolting peasants! They are flying the flag because its a date of massive national significance. Its the Duchess of Cambridges birthday.

Have you not got yours flying, you republican scumbag?!!!

We had a flypast, and street party organised and everything. But the bloody weathers put paid to that 🙁

What was the reasing behind the decision to lower it in the first place?

Perhaps that people should stop being so touchy about a flag?

It's all here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-20954910

It was an agreed arrangement between all parties. The unrest etc is as usual self interest on the part of a criminal element to achieve aims that have nothing whatsoever to do with any reality other than their own.

Personally, I'm very happy for all of these twunts to be allocated some space along with all other malcontents, preferably somewhere like the Falklands (actually in fairness to the Falklanders lets say South Georgia), and for them to be sent there so they can protest and prat about to their hearts content. (Mind you, we need to make sure we don't allow them to play Cricket or Rugby, as there is previous for that policy backfiring long term)

Far too much to go into in detail, so I'll paraphrase:

Nationalist/Republican majority, Unionist minority on Belfast City Council, middle ground Alliance party holds swing vote. Norn Irn's neutral workplace rules are invoked, making the city hall more neutral by not having unionist paraphanalia (ie the Union Flag) flown over the door 365, goes to a vote in the chamber.
UUP and DUP leaflet loyalist communities ahead of the debate with some fairly inflammatory language saying the Alliance Party will vote to have the flag ripped down etc
Democratic vote takes place, Union Flag will now be flown on 17 Designated Days rather than 365 (much like most councils in the UK and the Stormont assembly)
Riot by Loyalist protestors who feel their British identity is under attack and that they are not able to be British in Norn Irn. Repeat the riot bit, most nights, since mid December. Trade in city reduces, potential investors get cold feet, people cancel hotel/restaurant, hairdresser, whatever- reservations. Protests take place blocking roads at rush hour for maximum impact and pissing off the entire working population of Belfast and other towns.
Rioters attack Alliance offices, including Naiomi Long's, who is an MLA and doesn't even sit on the council. A police woman has a petrol bomb thrown into the back of her car while guarding Ms Longs constituency office. Unhurt, thankfully.
Rioters lose faith in their political representatives, and set up a Forum to represent their views, who have been strangely quiet on what they actually want, likely as they cant agree.
Rioters continue to "recreationally riot".
Politicians (mainly the ones who set the whole shebang in motion with their leaflets) scratch their collective arses, as they have no control anymore, and no one is listening to "the People" but "the People" don't seem to know what they want.
We are told its about socio-economic deprivation, lack of investment in protestant areas, unemployment and other political buzz words etc and not just about the flag.

Country on the whole now pissed off to the back teeth with people trying to bring the whole place back to "the bad old days".

Next chapter? I dread to think. May have missed a few bits out, but plenty of reading out there.

patriotpro - Member
Is this a u-turn on the whole thing by the powers or gesture of temporary appeasement??

No, it's one of the agreed days.

Perhaps that people should stop being so touchy about a flag?

Much like the massive penises who tut-tutted at people flying England flags during the world cup ... apparently anyone not English was massively offended 🙄

What was that Eddie Izzard routine about flags, something along the lines of how the British Empire was established ...

@ bencooper, maybe it means more to those people involved.

@ berm bandit, I agree with you to a certain extent, but the protesters are a minority (i guess). I mean for every angry rioter, i bet there are at least another 10 people who feel the same but have chosen not to do anything about it.

@ andyl46 - cheers, sounds like a bloody mess alright. sadly it sounds like it's not going to improve any time soon...

It is certainly a "bit different" over there. The Loyalists mainly are descended from Scottish immgrants [i]sent[/i] over there a long long time ago, some say in pacification to prevent uprisings in Scotland against Westminster at the time. They claim they want to remain British but I don't know which part of Britain today it is they want to identify with. Suggestions on a postcard.

from the outside it appears that they are all totally mental and if you locked them in a room on their own they would eventually beat themselves up.

@ bencooper, maybe it means more to those people involved.

Well then they should grow up.

surroundedbyhills - Member

The Loyalists mainly are descended from Scottish immgrants sent over there a long long time ago,

There's a multiplying effect too, because loads then came back to Scotland, and became even more bigoted, racist and sectarian

My ex's dad and his mates were bloody brilliant. "I wouldn't have a coon in my cab, can't trust 'em". (yep, they all drive minicabs, and yep they still say coon)

"Oi you! I can't stop you ****ing my daughter, but you can't come into my house wearing green"

And my personal favourite, "These ****s coming over here and taking our jobs"- scuse me, but you moved to Scotland in in 1979! Meanwhile the "****s" he was talking about were scottish-born 2nd and 3rd generation scottish-indians, their family arrived here in the 60s. Ironically he came over here and tried to steal [i]their[/i] jobs. But he didn't do too well as he's a ****less shirker.

It was an agreed arrangement between all parties.

This is the important bit. It was a decision taken by a democratically elected body.

In the long run it might be a good thing - showing these small minded thugs for what they are.

@ berm bandit, I agree with you to a certain extent, but the protesters are a minority (i guess). I mean for every angry rioter, i bet there are at least another 10 people who feel the same but have chosen not to do anything about it.

Yep thats the kicker about democracy though, you vote for people to do stuffon your behalf, then when they do you can't really moan, but come the next election kick the ****ers out...... or did you mean the bit about cricket and rugby?

Of course, alternatively, you could stamp and shout and behave like a bad tempered 2 year old
...............

Oh yeah... 😕

bencooper - Member

@ bencooper, maybe it means more to those people involved.

Well then they should grow up

Alas - I would say it's not as simple as that. Them bloody human-beings, right PITA they are.

So then, this may be really radical, but why not fly the union flag AND the republican flag...

Or a new design represening the mergeance of the two...Represent both/all parties rather than de-reprenting one??

or did you mean the bit about cricket and rugby?

I definitley agree with you on the cricket and the rugby bit... 😉

I also mean it's not just the rioters they have pissed off. Tip of the iceberg type situation.

The flag of the republic already is a representation of both communities. 🙂

AND the republican flag...

There isn't one. There is however a foreign countries Irish Tricolour, which does seem to cause a bit of a rant. I guess I'm comfy with us doing that if Dublin would run up the Union doofer next to their tricolour though. However, the agreed compromise of neither except on agreed occasions seemed to work well until the issue was hijacked by a bunch of criminals to conceal their actual agenda though.

deadlydarcy - Member
The flag of the republic already is a representation of both communities.

The St.Geo with the palm in the centre?

bencooper - Member

Well then they should grow up.

You should go for UN peace envoy.

What has Dublin to do with it? This was internally agreed by democratically elected representatives in Northern Ireland, was it not?

They really need to find hobbies to occupy their time.

I there was ever a good reason to have GB+NI become 4 federal states, each flying their own flags, this may be it. 😉

7 million its cost in police costs already.

Fly the gay liberation rainbow flag on the days of the week when the other flag isnt being flown.

Absolutely no aggreession or angry moments from the gay groups.Maybe even a calming effect.

neilsonwheels - Member
They really need to find hobbies to occupy their time.

Or jobs (except there aren't enough to go around?) As I've said I doubt it's just the jobless/hobbyless and others that are rioting that this issue has offended.

Could they not fly the Jolly roger? Then everyone could embrace their new cultural identity, dress as pirates, drink rum and sing sea shanties together

Problem solved. [b]AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!![/b]

[img] [/img]

You'll find there ARE enough jobs to go around, but most of the folk you see rioting and causing disturbances are too comfy with their dole cheques and in a way...rightly so. Free money and all that..

Before this descends into 5 pages of outsiders telling NI how it should be run, I'd like to point out that what you see on TV is one road/junction and not a representation of Belfast, or even Northern Ireland for that matter. As this is a cycling forum, I'd recommend some of our many trail centres that are opening this year and hope folk still come over and experience the greatness that is being built and don't begin cancelling their plans because of these gobshites on the news for the last few weeks.

I'd recommend some of our many trail centres that are opening this year and hope folk still come over and experience the greatness that is being built and don't begin cancelling their plans because of these gobshites on the news for the last few weeks.

It was ever thus aidso even at the peak of the troubles, i.e. very limited and localised, as I'm sure you well know. Unfortunately the Gobshites have already delivered a massive knockback in that context both in respect of tourism, but probably more significantly in respect if inward investment. Frankly that will remain the case until the people who don't live on that corner stand up to them and reject them and that way of life on mass. Personally speaking, even knowing what I know, I wouldn't be thinking of either visiting or investing already.

i.e. Why should I bother??

aidso - Member

You'll find there ARE enough jobs to go around

Do you actually believe this? 8% unemployment rate in a shrinking economy, but everyone's just lazy?

Steve Bell nails it once again....

[img] [/img]

😆