Belfast rioting over removal of Union Jack

[No Soloing]

They dont know what their own culture is

A definition of what 'culture' is for a loyalist would be a start. Jim Wilson began at the very start about erosion of his culture. Then went immediately into Pat Finucane & Bloody Sunday inquiries and HET chasing Protestants*. If culture is about stopping inquiries and investigations then say so. Another cub was asked about it and his response was 'being British' - thats his culture summed up.


*hardly surprising since historically loyalists not only werent prosecuted, but were helped in carrying out attacks and had evidence destroyed by members of the security forces investigating them

[Milltown Row2]

They dont know what their own culture is

A definition of what 'culture' is for a loyalist would be a start. Jim Wilson began at the very start about erosion of his culture. Then went immediately into Pat Finucane & Bloody Sunday inquiries and HET chasing Protestants*. If culture is about stopping inquiries and investigations then say so. Another cub was asked about it and his response was 'being British' - thats his culture summed up.


*hardly surprising since historically loyalists not only werent prosecuted, but were helped in carrying out attacks and had evidence destroyed by members of the security forces investigating them

He'd nothing else to add to it, being British!! No follow up on it with, ok your British and that will never change ever, what else? Do you not see youself growing up happy with a family and a career and living in peace? Beyond me, totally beyond me. I hope the numbers for this rabble are small and I hope they fragment the unionist vote I live in an major Unionist area for votes, I never vote but I'll be tempted to be giving it to Alliance (won't make a matter I think)

Alliance will take a serious hit at the polls

[EC Unique]

Go out and vote MR2 and as many others as you can to go out and vote alliance to show that this does not work.

[Armaghgeddon]

Was comical and depressing at the same time last night. the sheer degree of hatred being spilled out by Bryson and his friends will never go away.

The political parties over here have always had their own views the Shinners and SDLP have never changed their views on what they want, a united Ireland. DUP and UUP to stay British. Alliance a shared future. So why do we have these numpties coming on complaining that one group seem to be getting more than others?

Other groups are getting more than them. They use to have everything and now they are losing it in simple terms.

[armaghniac]

Go out and vote MR2 and as many others as you can to go out and vote alliance to show that this does not work.

+1 especially in PR elections not voting is not reasonable.

[ziggysego]

Go out and vote MR2 and as many others as you can to go out and vote alliance to show that this does not work.

Best advice yet. Don't sit on your backside complaining, vote Alliance.

[Nally Stand]

[Lazer]

Go out and vote MR2 and as many others as you can to go out and vote alliance to show that this does not work.

Best advice yet. Don't sit on your backside complaining, vote Alliance.

Agreed - I've always said that the reason alliance don't get too many votes is because the people that don't vote are those that would actually vote for alliance - they don't vote bacause of our silly tribal politics - but get out there and vote our way out of tribal politics!

[Larry Duff]

Love the comment on screen below her - "The protests have to stop. You need to wind your necks in"

[imtommygunn]

Agreed. I haven't voted in a long time but I will be doing so from now on.

I would like to think Alliance won't be dead in the water after this.

[No Soloing]

I dont think Alliance will be dead in the water. The main voices we hear about Alliance making a huge mistake with the flags is coming from the protesters (hardly your typical Alliance voter) and the DUP (trying to make political gain). I dont think the typical middle class unionist is too vexed over the flags. If they are they are probably die-hard DUPers anyway. If Bryson or someone else like him stand they are as likely to take DUP votes as Alliance and I hope some people might vote Alliance instead of DUP next time round, as they have shown maturity throughout all this, rather than the backward tribal politics of DUP & UUP.

Alliance might lose E Belfast but that might come about anyway as the Iris affair was probably the main reason why Peter R lost last time round. The effect of it will have waned by now - though of course they would claim it was all down to the flag

[southdown]

Wilson wound me up no end, straight away he ranted about Bloody Sunday and the Finnucane enquiry.  These inquiries were brought about in an attempt to bring about justice and wrong doers to account.  How does this erode unionism?

IMHO the people on the show had not real clue what their gripe is, the real problem is that Nationalists are getting a fairer deal in NI and the Unionist simply don't like it.

[johnneycool]

Please tell me this is on iplayer as seemed to have missed a ball.

What was Joseph Brolly on for?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01pwdcf/The_Nolan_Show_Series_2_Episode_6/

Had a watch of that there now, interesting how they think, but not surprised in all fairness, there is still an unwillingness to accept that there is a very sizeable portion of Norn Iron who have no affiliation to Britain even if we are forced to pay our taxes to HMRC, but I suppose if you watched BBC NI and UTV you'd think organisations like the GAA were only for a very small minority.

Even David Forde tried to be as diplomatic as possible in explaining this on several occasions but it fell on deaf ears

[Aoise]

Don't kid yourselves, Alliance may come out with all the liberal sharing talk, but scratch below the surface, they are ultimately unionist.  I do think however that the puppet masters being the DUP started this over Naomi Long, and now the rabble have got the bit between their teeth and with the help of social networking have ran with it.

There's no point intellectualising about whats going on, the simple truth is that unionist dominance and subjugation of catholics is slowly but surely being met with equality, and thats what the problem is.  Imagine in any other society, democracy and equality scaring people so much.  And yet, this position is justified by so many.  The likes of Stephen Nolan has the audacity to ask Gerry Kelly if he understood loyalist concerns, yet he hasn't once asked the question from any loyalist do they understand why the majority of Belfast citizens do not recognise the Union Jack as their flag?  Thats right, majority. 
The media, by reporting their sectarian, bigoted concerns, only serves to feed them.  Why can't the media confront this farce with what it is, sectarianism.  The riots in London were met with nothing but animosity from the British Media collectively, as a result, the police had it in control in a matter of days, even after the riots, arrests were made because of what people said on social networking sites that amounted to incitement of hatred, even though they only arranged to gather in a certain place in a certain time.  Here, they have got full reign to spout 'ku klux klan' type rubbish everywhere and still be given the platform to air their grievances.  Yes by letting them do that they show themselves up, but read their facebook site today, they thought they were brilliant, the danger is, that by having a mob with as low an intelligence quota, it can so easily be manipulated to do very dangerous things.  Time to nip it and be like a normal society. Would the London met have let riots continue for 7 weeks, would the Garda?  No - so why do we have to stick it?

[ziggysego]

Don't kid yourselves, Alliance may come out with all the liberal sharing talk, but scratch below the surface, they are ultimately unionist.

I don't think they promote themselves as otherwise. However the difference that I see is that Alliance's pov is that they are civic unionists and are open to the possibility of that party stance being changed in the future, whereas for the likes of the UUP and DUP their unionism is more engrained in historical, religious and cultural roots and in some nutjob cases ethnic as well.

+1

The party may have a Unionist slant, but there are many Nationalists who are members too.