http://sphotos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/148237_4338048923193_453701180_n.jpg

 

So basically in short news:

 

-Another trouble caused by Catholic vs. Protestant dominations (aka. The Troubles mess again).

-Union Flag changed from flying everyday of the year to only 15 designated days to 'acknowledge a more balanced population of Northern ireland'.

-Unionists protest to revert the changes back.

-Christmas Tree and the Continental Market burned.

-Security Guard and multiple police officers injured so far.

-Nationalists think it's caused by Sinn Fein (United Ireland political party) as they control 24 councillors compared to 21 unionist councillors as they try to raise tensions between the two political parties.

-Although for the first time in history, Sinn Fein and the SDLP 'supports' the union flag being flown everyday instead of the 15 designated days.

 

And in random news......

 

I LIVE 10 MINUTES OF WALKING DISTANCE AWAY FROM THIS MESS. :D

 

Debate on here.

 

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I personally don't see the fuss. NEVER have supported violence and NEVER will. If people would've just bothered voted in the first place against this union flag policy change, then this wouldn'tve happened in the first place but no, instead they do things AFTER as per usual and making a mess out of everything. Although I do sort of agree that the Union Flag should be flown all days of the year as Northern Ireland is part of United Kingdom and in most states/countries, the country flag is always flown to show authority of the place. Then again, I don't think the pro-democratic people are innocent either. Why harm others and burn things down? That isn't what they were initially there for.

 

OH THE PAIN OF LIVING IN A MESSED UP PLACE. :drama:

Edited December 4, 201212 yr by Oricon

Oh and if a moderator is present, can this be moved to the Lounge instead? I feel like it'd be more appropriate there. :D

Demographically NI is changing so much I can see the logic in flying the flag less, but as you say it's still part of the UK so it seems an odd compromise. Either fly it all the time or have a referendum on which country you want to be a part of.

 

In terms of a unified Ireland, I can see the argument but then again on the same logic you could get some Southern states in the US having referenda on whether to become part of Mexico instead soon.

To be fair, none of what's happened in Northern Ireland over the previous 50 years should have ever occurred in the first place. Some people have made the wrong decisions over the years, but the best thing for both sides to do now is to stop their feud, come up with an equal compromise, and get on for the sake of getting on and for Ireland as well.

Sadly such an outcome was fairly inevitable I think, obviously being a Unionist I'm biased, but Northern Ireland is still part of the UK and as such flying the Union Flag every day is not something I think should have been up for debate. As ever though, this proves that despite all the lauded 'change', not so very much has actually changed here.

Oh the Christmas/Continental market is apparently back up so hopefully no more rioting. :D

Oh the Christmas/Continental market is apparently back up so hopefully no more rioting. :D

 

If there's one thing that we can all agree on, it's that those Kangaroo Burgers sure are bouncy!

 

The issue of flags is always going to be a contentious issue in Northern Ireland, and therefore should be an issue treated with a mixture of mutual respect and kid gloves. That however does not give thugs the right to attack property, injure police officers and vandalize Catholic churches.

 

I also think it's ironic how the Irish Tricolour is treated with such derision by some unionists, even though the flag is one of peace.

 

Green - nationalists

Orange - Unionists/Loyalists

White - peace between the two.

Well it looks like the market won't be anywhere near as big as they were this year during next year's Christmas. I'll miss the beer tent. :(

Guys I think we've found a solution:

 

In a bold move, the Assembly have unveiled plans to separate Northern Ireland from the island of Ireland. All connections with both Ireland and the United Kingdom will be severed and the country will be renamed Ulsterland.

 

The final decision was passed in Stormont last night, after a select committee decided that the only way to solve the dispute over whether Northern Ireland should be part of Ireland or Britain was to make Northern Ireland its own island, independent of both.

 

To further appease community tensions, Ulsterland’s national holiday will be 15 May (half way between St Patrick’s Day and the Twelfth of July), the national colour will be sludge brown (the colour you get from mixing orange and green), the national flag will be bootlegged from the French (a red, white and blue tricolour), and the national anthem will be a new composition featuring Lambegs and bodhrans, entitled “God Save the Soldier Song”.

But not everyone is happy with the decision. A new debate has sparked over where the newly created island should be placed, with nationalist parties arguing that the island should be located close to the west coast of Ireland, and unionists arguing that it should be located offshore from south east England. To avoid serious fallout, the select committee ruled that Ulsterland will be placed beside France.

 

DUP MLA Randy Johnston explained: “By putting Ulsterland next to France, we can ensure that years of built up hatred can be properly directed in the universally accepted way. At the French.”

 

SDLP member John Newbury added: “It’s really the best way forward. Those stuck in the past will be too busy enjoying the warmer climate and disliking our new French neighbours to care about anything else.”

An investigation on how to detach soon-to-be Ulsterland from the island of Ireland has already begun, with prominent local geologists putting forth their theories.

 

Professor Jane Campbell from the University of Ulster has suggested that the 400 tonnes of fireworks and black cat bangers that were seized throughout the province over Halloween could be used to blast the two parts of the island apart. She explained: “Once separated, the newly created island can be easily floated on the large deposit of hatred and bigotry that’s built up over the years.”

 

Several details are yet to be decided, such as how Ulsterland will work with international traders to ensure that food and drink supplies make their way to the new island as normal. Riots broke out in Lurgan last week when the distributors of Buckfast claimed that that there could be a five week delay in shipping the popular alcoholic beverage to the country. However First Minister Peter Robinson was quick to act, promising he “would do everything within his power to ensure something so culturally significant to the people of Lurgan would remain in good supply.” The local army are expected to be drafted in to airlift crates of the tonic wine into the town.

http://ulsternews.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ulstervill.png

http://ulsternews.org/11/ni-to-be-seperated-from-ireland/22

Fantastic.

Edited December 5, 201212 yr by Harve

:lol: Oh if only.

OMG LMAO that's FANTASTIC. We actually get to experience a better climate if so.

The protests have resulted in a number of schools in Belfast and Glengormley closing. Surely we were past all this?

One thing this flag business has spawned is the 'Belfast Bigot' meme. Following the protest, a flag clad woman shouted 'No Surrender' through the smashed window of the city hall:

 

 

This is spurred many parodies featuring her, in situations like The Shining, Se7en, and even in Europop videos:

 

 

There were loyalist marches two hours ago and I can still hear them.

 

The only thing that doesn't make sense is that it's a sleepy, early December Saturday morning and I'm in semi-suburban Scotland.

This is absolutely terrifying.

Things hae escalated again. Was at East Belfast going to Newtownards for work and the entire road was blocked near Connswater. SO MUCH TROUBLE!

 

(P.S Harve I didn't realise you were from Northern Ireland/Belfast?! Or am I mistaking it and there's protests in Scotland as well due to the riots in Belfast? :o)

Edited December 8, 201212 yr by Oricon

Things hae escalated again. Was at East Belfast going to Newtownards for work and the entire road was blocked near Connswater. SO MUCH TROUBLE!

 

(P.S Harve I didn't realise you were from Northern Ireland/Belfast?! Or am I mistaking it and there's protests in Scotland as well due to the riots in Belfast? :o)

I'm not! That's why I was confused as to why there were marches with Northern Irish flags and Union Jacks being flown. It seems the Orange Order also operate in Scotland so I suppose it makes sense now.

Glasgow is very Catholics v Protestant. There is a very large Irish immigrant population in the west coast. I am honestly surprised that the first terrorist attack on Scottish soil was the moron that drove a Jeep into the revolving door of Glasgow Airport.

I suppose some of the Scottish people were originally from Ulster, hence the term "Ulster-Scots" but I'm still surprised the news in Belfast reached and affected Scotland as well. :o

We're all part of the same country and get the same national news. The news from Belfast reached EVERYONE.

 

The scum in the west just love a good reason to have a fight. Half of them wish they were in the IRA.