While it's true that the nationalist electorate didn't ask their politicians to review flags policy, it is understandable that the SDLP and Alliance party want to create a more neutral council environment. Sinn Fein's motives were possibly more of the coat trailing variety, though in the face of dissident republicanism you can surmise that they have to keep their more disillusioned supporters on board with the odd 'smash the brits' success story.
Many have raised the "if Belfast is part of the UK then why shouldn't it fly the union jack" question? Recent polls have shown that most Catholics wish NI to remain within the UK. However, while the Union Jack is generally uncontroversial in mainland Britain it is toxic to Catholics here. Unionism as an ideology needn't be sectarian, but the two unionist parties have been sectarian since inception. The same goes for nationalist politics too, and why virtually no Protestants vote for them. Face facts, the intention behind flying flags in public is completely irrelevant, they usually result in offence being taken as they are clearly territorial ****ing exercises. For the flags protesters to then drape themselves in union jacks only reinforces the view among nationalists that as a symbol it is totally beyond redemption.
One thing that I find amusing about the whole situation is that the ones bearing the brunt of this violence is the Alliance party, the only 'unionist' party that Catholics can vote with a clear conscience. Unionist but without any trappings of sectarianism or right wing nationalism. And before anyone thinks I'm judging unionism too harshly, remember I equally criticised nationalist parties- which of course have a 100% Catholic membership and feature the equally offensive tricolour all over their election leaflets.
Another point I find interesting is that every single commentator is telling us how 'everyone knew this was going to happen, why didn't they wait till after christmas'. Well maybe I'm the only one, but I certainly didn't think this would happen. The City Hall is after all in the city centre, where it's not easy to claim the place for one community or the other. It is a neutral space, and one that most citizens haven't been inside. I could understand the fuss if they were removing flags from a Loyalist housing estate, but not here. After all the Stormont parliament only flies the union jack several days a year and has done so for a decade.
Many have raised the "if Belfast is part of the UK then why shouldn't it fly the union jack" question? Recent polls have shown that most Catholics wish NI to remain within the UK. However, while the Union Jack is generally uncontroversial in mainland Britain it is toxic to Catholics here. Unionism as an ideology needn't be sectarian, but the two unionist parties have been sectarian since inception. The same goes for nationalist politics too, and why virtually no Protestants vote for them. Face facts, the intention behind flying flags in public is completely irrelevant, they usually result in offence being taken as they are clearly territorial ****ing exercises. For the flags protesters to then drape themselves in union jacks only reinforces the view among nationalists that as a symbol it is totally beyond redemption.
One thing that I find amusing about the whole situation is that the ones bearing the brunt of this violence is the Alliance party, the only 'unionist' party that Catholics can vote with a clear conscience. Unionist but without any trappings of sectarianism or right wing nationalism. And before anyone thinks I'm judging unionism too harshly, remember I equally criticised nationalist parties- which of course have a 100% Catholic membership and feature the equally offensive tricolour all over their election leaflets.
Another point I find interesting is that every single commentator is telling us how 'everyone knew this was going to happen, why didn't they wait till after christmas'. Well maybe I'm the only one, but I certainly didn't think this would happen. The City Hall is after all in the city centre, where it's not easy to claim the place for one community or the other. It is a neutral space, and one that most citizens haven't been inside. I could understand the fuss if they were removing flags from a Loyalist housing estate, but not here. After all the Stormont parliament only flies the union jack several days a year and has done so for a decade.
