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Dublin: 10 °C Wednesday 22 May, 2013

PSNI encouraged by latest union flag protest in Belfast

Protestors today did not try to “parade unlawfully into the city centre” – a move welcomed by police authorities.

File photo of a union flag protest in Belfast in December. Today demonstrators did not try to carry out an authorised march from City Hall to the city centre.
File photo of a union flag protest in Belfast in December. Today demonstrators did not try to carry out an authorised march from City Hall to the city centre.
Image: Paul Faith/PA Wire

THE PSNI has welcomed the behaviour of participants at the latest demonstration over the removal of the British flag from Belfast’s City Hall.

A demonstration against last year’s decision to stop flying the flag all year round, and only on 19 designated days of the year, has now become a weekly event outside the city hall.

Previously, however, those taking part in the demonstrations have then tried to march from the City Hall into the city centre, without prior clearance from the PSNI.

Such a march would be classified as a parade, and therefore fall under the strict control of Northern Ireland’s Parades Commission.

No such march was attempted today.

PSNI assistant chief constable Will Kerr said today’s events marked “a sea-change” in the weekly protests.

“The criminal justice consequences for illegal behaviour over the past three months will continue over the coming weeks and months,” he said.

“As we enter the parading season, I would again appeal to civic leaders across Northern Ireland to continue to use their influence to ensure a peaceful and respectful summer.”

Read: Union flag protester Willie Frazer in court

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Comments (20 Comments)

  • They are not Union Jack protests. Quite simply they are anti-democracy right wing protests. By a group of peopke who cant accept that equality threatens no-one.

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  • How can the PSNI be happy it’s a disgrace this is still continuing on a daily basis either have 2 flags or no flags end off

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  • As the old joke goes “welcome to northern ireland now turn your clock back 800 years” when everyone else in the normal world is looking forward to the spring/summer seasons the have the marching season.How sad,its time the parades commission banned these marches on both sides.

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    • Don’t tar everyone in the wee 6 with the same brush, it’s only a minority of dinosaurs that can’t look to the future. Only one side indulges in a “marching season”.

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    • I agree 100% Jamie. One of the proudest things I’ve ever done with a vote was vote in fovour of the Good Friday agreement. I did it because I wanted to support the decent hard working ordinary people that are stuck between the extremes in the north, of BOTH communities. Lets not forget these people, they deserve what ppl in the Republic, England Scotland and Wales take for granted and that is a stable and safe society where their children have access to a decent education and prospect of employment. Those on the extremes are the only ones with something to gain from the continuation of the troubles.

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    • actually I shouldn’t refer to them as dinosaurs, as a lot of them don’t even believe in the giant creatures that roamed our earth hundreds of millions of years ago i.e. McCausland, Campbell et al..

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    • “On both sides”.

      Sorry but nationalist and republican parades make up a mere 3% of all marches that take place in the north. I think there was just trouble at just one of these last year, and that was when unionists actually marched into a nationalist area to protest the parade (which was ironically in memory of Henry Joy McCracken, a Protestant Republican)

      Conversley, 66% of parades are by loyal lodges (Orange Order, Black Preceptory etc…), That’s 22-times the amount held by nationalists anre republicans! And a fair number are contentious as they march through areas where they are not wanted.

      The rest of the parades and marches are other civic processions (sporting events, community parades, Patrick’s Day etc…)

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    • Sticking your thumb in your neighbors eye wont solve anything Mark.

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    • Ronan you clearly know little about the northern situation..

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    • no Ronan not at all, just respect your land…

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  • Ah now I see why McBab wrote earlier “. Well it’s boring already so I, for one am off and will check back in on Monday”. Nothing like a good march with the brethren although he might miss out on this occasion.

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  • Are these guys still protesting? Thought they had gone home.

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  • Everybody should get upset over flags.

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  • Nobody should not get upset over a flag.

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  • Bit more protestant it seems. They should continue to protest in a protestant way by a protestant people. I thought it was only called the union jack when flown at sea.

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