On the twenty-eighth day of November....

[MW]

I think you'll find that no representatives of "the Provisional republican movement" signed the GFA nor was were the articles within officially endorsed by "the Provisional republican movement". What happened was that SF suggested to the rest of the "the Provisional republican movement" that, for now, it presented the best way forward toward their common goals. So, you are incorrect in your assertion that members of the republican movement have accepted the legitimacy of the Northern Ireland statlet or it's position in the UK.

The political side of the Provisional republican movement publicly stated that they supported the GFA. And this included many who had been leaders on the violent side in the previous 30 years, including Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness, Garry Kelly, Martin Meehan etc.

The GFA was clear - I've quoted from it above. Northern Ireland remains within the United Kindgom, and will remain so until a majority says otherwise. It recognised that the choice to remain in the United Kingdom is legitimate, and that it would be wrong for Northern Ireland to leave the UK without the consent of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland.

"the legitimacy of whatever choice is freely exercised by a majority of the people of Northern Ireland with regard to its status, whether they prefer to continue to support the Union with Great Britain or a sovereign united Ireland"

"the present wish of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland, freely exercised and legitimate, is to maintain the Union and, accordingly, that Northern Ireland's status as part of the United Kingdom reflects and relies upon that wish; and that it would be wrong to make any change in the status of Northern Ireland save with the consent of a majority of its people"

"DRAFT CLAUSES/SCHEDULES FOR INCORPORATION IN BRITISH LEGISLATION It is hereby declared that Northern Ireland in its entirety remains part of the United Kingdom and shall not cease to be so without the consent of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland voting in a poll held for the purposes of this section in accordance with Schedule 1."

"IRISH GOVERNMENT DRAFT LEGISLATION TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION... recognising that a united Ireland shall be brought about only by peaceful means with the consent of a majority of the people, democratically expressed, in both jurisdictions in the island."

"This agreement provides for a democratically elected Assembly in Northern Ireland"

"The Westminster Parliament (whose power to make legislation for Northern Ireland would remain unaffected) will...legislate for non-devolved issues"

[Donagh]

I think you'll find that no representatives of "the Provisional republican movement" signed the GFA nor was were the articles within officially endorsed by "the Provisional republican movement". What happened was that SF suggested to the rest of the "the Provisional republican movement" that, for now, it presented the best way forward toward their common goals. So, you are incorrect in your assertion that members of the republican movement have accepted the legitimacy of the Northern Ireland statlet or it's position in the UK.

The political side of the Provisional republican movement publicly stated that they supported the GFA. And this included many who had been leaders on the violent side in the previous 30 years, including Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness, Garry Kelly, Martin Meehan etc.

The GFA was clear - I've quoted from it above. Northern Ireland remains within the United Kindgom, and will remain so until a majority says otherwise. It recognised that the choice to remain in the United Kingdom is legitimate, and that it would be wrong for Northern Ireland to leave the UK without the consent of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland.

"the legitimacy of whatever choice is freely exercised by a majority of the people of Northern Ireland with regard to its status, whether they prefer to continue to support the Union with Great Britain or a sovereign united Ireland"

"the present wish of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland, freely exercised and legitimate, is to maintain the Union and, accordingly, that Northern Ireland's status as part of the United Kingdom reflects and relies upon that wish; and that it would be wrong to make any change in the status of Northern Ireland save with the consent of a majority of its people"

"DRAFT CLAUSES/SCHEDULES FOR INCORPORATION IN BRITISH LEGISLATION It is hereby declared that Northern Ireland in its entirety remains part of the United Kingdom and shall not cease to be so without the consent of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland voting in a poll held for the purposes of this section in accordance with Schedule 1."

"IRISH GOVERNMENT DRAFT LEGISLATION TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION... recognising that a united Ireland shall be brought about only by peaceful means with the consent of a majority of the people, democratically expressed, in both jurisdictions in the island."

"This agreement provides for a democratically elected Assembly in Northern Ireland"

"The Westminster Parliament (whose power to make legislation for Northern Ireland would remain unaffected) will...legislate for non-devolved issues"

MW, I don't want to offend you are anything, but I don't care what it says in the GFA. I'll support it as a tactic for now, but as an Irish republican (and I assume those politicos you refer are of this position), I will never accept the northern state as legitimate, or the southern one as the republic envisioned by the men of '98 and '16. Until that is achieved and Emmet gets his epitaph, I and others will be always be agitating and working towards the establishment of an Irish republic by whatever means available and using whichever tactic best suits the climate.

[Zapatista]

this included many who had been leaders on the violent side in the previous 30 years, including Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness, Garry Kelly, Martin Meehan etc.

Not to forget many loyalists and the British Governent.

[saffron sam2]

Pints, did you ever get flogged under article 5 of the SPA ?


SPECIAL POWERS ACT
In April 1963, the South African Minister of Justice, now the Prime Minister,
introduced a new Coercion Bill by saying that he 'vould be willing to exchange
all the legislation of that sort for one clause of the Northern Ireland Special Powers
Act. "
This Act, which has been continuously in operation since 1922, empowers the
authorities to:
(1) Arrest without warrant.
(2) Imprison without charge or trial and deny recourse to habeus corpus or a
court of law.
(3) Enter and search homes without warrant, and with force, at any hour of
day or night.
(4) Declare a curfew and prohibit meetings, assemblies (including fairs and
markets) and processions.
(5) Permit punishment by flogging.
(6) Deny claim to a trial by jury.
(7)Arrest persons it is desired to examine as witnesses, forcibly detain them
and compel them to answer questions, under penalties, even if answers may
incriminate them. Such a person is guilty of an offence if he refuses to be
sworn or answcr a question.

(8)Do any act involving interference with the rights of private property.
Prevent access of relatives or legal advisers to a person imprisoned without
trial.
(9) Prohibit the holding of an inquest after a prisoner's death.
(10) Arrest a person who 'by word of mouth' spreads false reports or makes
false statements.
(II)

(12) Prohibit the circulation of any newspaper.
(13) Prohibit the possession of any fiim or gramophonc record.
(14) Arrest a person who does anything ''calculated to be prejudicial to the
preservation of peace or maintenance of order in Northern Ireland and not
specifically provided for in the regulations."
(15) The Act allows the Minister of Home Affairs to create new crimes by Government
Decree, e.g., he recently made it a crime to name a club a ''Republican
Club."

And those of us who claim that the symbol of that regime, the Ulster banner, is not a fit symbol for an Irish football team are denounced as bigots.

FFA anyone?

[Main Street]

And those of us who claim that the symbol of that regime, the Ulster banner, is not a fit symbol for an Irish football team are denounced as bigots.
FFA anyone?

Apparantly that denounciation is nothing new because according to a report by The Campaign for Social Justice in NI 1968 ´Unionists have claimed that Nationalists are more bigoted than them´ was a constant theme.
Quite hilarious really, when you read the report.

[Rossfan]

And those of us who claim that the symbol of that regime, the Ulster banner, is not a fit symbol for an Irish football team are denounced

Are you talking about the white flag with the red cross,red hand and a crown?
That is NOT an ULSTER Banner.
The flag of Ulster is yellow with a red cross and a red hand in the middle as used by the GAA,IRFU,GUI among others.
The other was I believe the official flag of the late unlamented Stormont Regime that existed between 1922 and 1972.

[saffron sam2]

And those of us who claim that the symbol of that regime, the Ulster banner, is not a fit symbol for an Irish football team are denounced

Are you talking about the white flag with the red cross,red hand and a crown?
That is NOT an ULSTER Banner.
The flag of Ulster is yellow with a red cross and a red hand in the middle as used by the GAA,IRFU,GUI among others.
The other was I believe the official flag of the late unlamented Stormont Regime that existed between 1922 and 1972.

The official name of that discredited flag is indeed the Ulster banner. The Ulster flag is of course the one you describe. Make of that what you will.

[MW]

I think you'll find that no representatives of "the Provisional republican movement" signed the GFA nor was were the articles within officially endorsed by "the Provisional republican movement". What happened was that SF suggested to the rest of the "the Provisional republican movement" that, for now, it presented the best way forward toward their common goals. So, you are incorrect in your assertion that members of the republican movement have accepted the legitimacy of the Northern Ireland statlet or it's position in the UK.

The political side of the Provisional republican movement publicly stated that they supported the GFA. And this included many who had been leaders on the violent side in the previous 30 years, including Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness, Garry Kelly, Martin Meehan etc.

The GFA was clear - I've quoted from it above. Northern Ireland remains within the United Kindgom, and will remain so until a majority says otherwise. It recognised that the choice to remain in the United Kingdom is legitimate, and that it would be wrong for Northern Ireland to leave the UK without the consent of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland.

"the legitimacy of whatever choice is freely exercised by a majority of the people of Northern Ireland with regard to its status, whether they prefer to continue to support the Union with Great Britain or a sovereign united Ireland"

"the present wish of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland, freely exercised and legitimate, is to maintain the Union and, accordingly, that Northern Ireland's status as part of the United Kingdom reflects and relies upon that wish; and that it would be wrong to make any change in the status of Northern Ireland save with the consent of a majority of its people"

"DRAFT CLAUSES/SCHEDULES FOR INCORPORATION IN BRITISH LEGISLATION It is hereby declared that Northern Ireland in its entirety remains part of the United Kingdom and shall not cease to be so without the consent of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland voting in a poll held for the purposes of this section in accordance with Schedule 1."

"IRISH GOVERNMENT DRAFT LEGISLATION TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION... recognising that a united Ireland shall be brought about only by peaceful means with the consent of a majority of the people, democratically expressed, in both jurisdictions in the island."

"This agreement provides for a democratically elected Assembly in Northern Ireland"

"The Westminster Parliament (whose power to make legislation for Northern Ireland would remain unaffected) will...legislate for non-devolved issues"

MW, I don't want to offend you are anything, but I don't care what it says in the GFA. I'll support it as a tactic for now, but as an Irish republican (and I assume those politicos you refer are of this position), I will never accept the northern state as legitimate, or the southern one as the republic envisioned by the men of '98 and '16. Until that is achieved and Emmet gets his epitaph, I and others will be always be agitating and working towards the establishment of an Irish republic by whatever means available and using whichever tactic best suits the climate.

Well I hope that the Sinn Féin leadership's committment to peaceful and demoncratic means and support of the Good Friday Agreement was of a more substantive nature.

[MW]

this included many who had been leaders on the violent side in the previous 30 years, including Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness, Garry Kelly, Martin Meehan etc.

Not to forget many loyalists and the British Governent.

I don't think the loyalists and the British Government were on the violent side of the Provisional republican movement


(Then again...  )

[MW]

And those of us who claim that the symbol of that regime, the Ulster banner, is not a fit symbol for an Irish football team are denounced as bigots.

FFA anyone?

What your opinion on the fitness of the Tricolour, bearing in mind for example the Offences Against the State Acts?