"To break the connection with England" Wolfe Tone

Sunday 23 February 2014

SECTARIAN TENSIONS HEIGHTENED ACROSS BELFAST.

It is well known throughout Ireland that Ardoyne in north Belfast has been a centre point of sectarian parades for years. In 2013 the parades commission banned the orange order from marching through Ardoyne on the 12th of July. This determi...nation was greatly welcomed by the residents of the area, however the protestant/loyalist community along with their leaders opposed the ruling and from the 12th of July until the present day a local loyalist band have for almost every night marched illegally to the Twaddell and Crumlin road junction where each night they are stopped from marching onto the crumlin road although they aren’t stopped from playing music and blocking roads while wearing masks to hide their identities. The pinnacle of this has been the formation of the so called 'civil rights camp' at Twaddell spearheaded by loyalist paramilitary leaders from the UDA and UVF, supported by political representatives from the DUP, PUP, TUV,and other diehard loyalist bigots such as Willie Frazer. This camp has been strategically positioned for the sole purpose of raising tensions in the local area with numerous flags and banners on show to provoke local residents going about their daily lives. Flutes and lambeg drums being played to their loudest capacity, families are being verbally abused and threatened while walking past the camp trying to get to the local tesco supermarket and a nightly ritual of a heavy RUC/PSNI presence in and around the area. Thoughout all this the Ardoyne community have stayed dignified and strong, not a single person has risen or retaliated in anyway to the sectarian lure presented to them on a daily basis. They have showed the the world the true nature of the people of Ardoyne where as before they have been shown by the media to be a community of violence. We also feel for the shop keepers who have lost business and some have had to close because of the nightly protests. Over the past few months loyalists have tried to no avail to bring out the worst in areas such as Ardoyne and short strand. We must all learn from and follow the example set by these areas and not bow down and give in to the expectations of the loyalist bigots. We are a strong people and must continue in a dignified manner to oppose all forms of sectarianism.
BEIR BUA.


Photo: It is well known throughout Ireland that Ardoyne in north Belfast has been a centre point of sectarian parades for years. In 2013 the parades commission banned the orange order from marching through Ardoyne on the 12th of July. This determination was greatly welcomed by the residents of the area, however the protestant/loyalist community along with their leaders opposed the ruling and from the 12th of July until the present day a local loyalist band have for almost every night marched illegally to the Twaddell and Crumlin road junction where each night they are stopped from marching onto the crumlin road although they aren’t stopped from playing music and blocking roads while wearing masks to hide their identities. The pinnacle of this has been the formation of the so called 'civil rights camp' at Twaddell spearheaded by loyalist paramilitary leaders from the UDA and UVF, supported by political representatives from the DUP, PUP, TUV,and other diehard loyalist bigots such as Willie Frazer. This camp has been strategically positioned for the sole purpose of raising tensions in the local area with numerous flags and banners on show to provoke local residents going about their daily lives. Flutes and lambeg drums being played to their loudest capacity, families are being verbally abused and threatened while walking past the camp trying to get to the local tesco supermarket and a nightly ritual of a heavy RUC/PSNI presence in and around the area. Thoughout all this the Ardoyne community have stayed dignified and strong, not a single person has risen or retaliated in anyway to the sectarian lure presented to them on a daily basis. They have showed the the world the true nature of the people of Ardoyne where as before they have been shown by the media to be a community of violence. We also feel for the shop keepers who have lost business and some have had to close because of the nightly protests. Over the past few months loyalists have tried to no avail to bring out the worst in areas such as Ardoyne and short strand. We must all learn from and follow the example set by these areas and not bow down and give in to the expectations of the loyalist bigots. We are a strong people and must continue in a dignified manner to oppose all forms of sectarianism. BEIR BUA.
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