Belfast rioting over removal of Union Jack

[johnneycool]

I had planned a couple of weeks ago to go to Belfast last night for some last minute Xmas shopping with Mrs AQMP and the AQMP Ogs.  We decided to leave the Ogs at home and me and herself would give it a lash.  Flew down the motorway, off at Divis Street straight into Castle Court, very little traffic, into town, hardly a sinner about.  Got everything done in just over an hour and a half (usually takes about 3 hrs if it's busy).  Had a nice coffee and a bun (no queue), left Belfast at 8:30pm, virtually no traffic and back in the house before 10:15pm.  Brilliant.   The only protestors I saw all night were on the telly when I got home.

Thanks lads, for helping out a GAA man!!

Johnny Harvey is the chairman of UPV, the United Protestant Voice, which has helped to organise some of the protests over the last few weeks.

He said people had a right to "show discontent" about the removal of the flag but said they should be peaceful.

"We're trying to put our voice out there in as public a way as possible," he said.

"We've had no luck with speaking to our politicians and trying to get our message across by that means."

He said that it was not the fault of protesters that some businesses were losing out on Christmas trade.

"Everything is being blamed on the protests, but at the end of the day we're in a double-dip recession here and the online surge in shopping is growing," he said, adding that most protests were peaceful.

Economist Johnny here explains it for you!

Belfast Chamber of commerce are missing a trick not having Johnny on board.

[trasna man]

Carrickfergus man 'fired imaginary machine gun' at police during riot
The men appeared at Belfast Magistrates' Court A Carrickfergus man allegedly fired an imaginary machine gun at police during street unrest in the town, a court has been told.

Brian McLean, 30, of Maple Gardens in Carrickfergus is accused of inciting protesters to riot, disorderly behaviour and failure to remove a mask worn to conceal his identity. He was remanded in custody.

The alleged offences occurred during a loyalist flag protest in the County Antrim town on the evening of Monday 17 December.

A detective constable who opposed Mr McLean's bail application at Belfast Magistrates' Court said this would deter others from becoming involved in trouble.

Defence solicitor Seamus Leonard stressed that his client was not accused of any actual rioting, or of throwing anything at the police.

"This is a man who was drunk and then with a dummy machine gun is shooting at police. That is what is alleged," the lawyer argued.

District Judge Fiona Bagnall refused bail due to the risk of re-offending, remanding McLean in custody until 2 January.

Meanwhile two other men, accused of blocking roads in Belfast, were granted bail subject to afternoon curfews.

Stephen Smith, 25, of Matilda Avenue, Belfast, and Tyler Thompson, 18, from Blythe Street in the city, are both charged with failing to remove disguises and obstructing roads.

The court heard how Mr Smith was arrested in connection with a protest at Great Victoria Street on Monday night.

A defence lawyer said his client went to the scene as a spectator, adding that there was no violence at that stage.

Granting bail to both Mr Smith and Mr Thompson, Judge Bagnall said each case had to be decided on its merits.

She imposed a maximum 12-hour curfew on both accused, starting from 1600 GMT.

Smith and Thompson were also each banned from having any flags, or going within 500 metres of demonstrations or parades.
Both men will appear again in court in eight weeks' time.
How will they express their britishness now

[Nally Stand]

Carrickfergus man 'fired imaginary machine gun' at police during riot


Smith and Thompson were also each banned from having any flags, or going within 500 metres of demonstrations or parades.
Both men will appear again in court in eight weeks' time.
How will they express their britishness now

Are they allowed to carry imaginary flags or to go within 500m of an imaginary parade? I'd imagine they are.

[bailestil]

United Protestant Voice

What a depressing name for any organisation in this day and age.
So its not that someone holds a particular political allegiance or view anymore its that they were christened in a reformation church that determines their view on fleg waving??
What has religion got to do with any of this?

religion (or rather peoples use of it), is a Bloody hex on this place.

[deiseach]

Carrickfergus man 'fired imaginary machine gun' at police during riot


Smith and Thompson were also each banned from having any flags, or going within 500 metres of demonstrations or parades.
Both men will appear again in court in eight weeks' time.
How will they express their britishness now

Are they allowed to carry imaginary flags or to go within 500m of an imaginary parade? I'd imagine they are.

It had to be said.

[Nally Stand]

Carrickfergus man 'fired imaginary machine gun' at police during riot


Smith and Thompson were also each banned from having any flags, or going within 500 metres of demonstrations or parades.
Both men will appear again in court in eight weeks' time.
How will they express their britishness now

Are they allowed to carry imaginary flags or to go within 500m of an imaginary parade? I'd imagine they are.

It had to be said.

Did I really say it though? Or are you imagining it...

[LeoMc]

Carrickfergus man 'fired imaginary machine gun' at police during riot


Smith and Thompson were also each banned from having any flags, or going within 500 metres of demonstrations or parades.
Both men will appear again in court in eight weeks' time.
How will they express their britishness now

Are they allowed to carry imaginary flags or to go within 500m of an imaginary parade? I'd imagine they are.

It had to be said.

Did I really say it though? Or are you imagining it...

Well it was a protest of the imaginary erosion of an imaginary culture.

As an aside I wasn't sure of my spelling of imaginary so I used the spell check.
Carrickfergus = Caregiver
Britishness = Brutishness.

[johnneycool]

Carrickfergus man 'fired imaginary machine gun' at police during riot


Smith and Thompson were also each banned from having any flags, or going within 500 metres of demonstrations or parades.
Both men will appear again in court in eight weeks' time.
How will they express their britishness now

Are they allowed to carry imaginary flags or to go within 500m of an imaginary parade? I'd imagine they are.

It had to be said.

I wonder did this imaginary machine gun harm the imaginary PSNI officers doing their imaginary duty?

Have you ever heard anything so stupid, with all that's went on some lad is remanded in custody for this?

[Orior]

(For maths geeks only)

I wonder will their sentence be the square root of minus one months?

[deiseach]

(For maths geeks only)

I wonder will their sentence be the square root of minus one months?

I haven't an iota.

[Saffrongael]

Some of the protesters should be happy, was in the Irish News today that McGuinness & Robinson have approved millions in funding to ex-prisoners groups.

[Eamonnca1]

(For maths geeks only)

I wonder will their sentence be the square root of minus one months?

Quality!

[armaghniac]

(For maths geeks only)

I wonder will their sentence be the square root of minus one months?

Very complex!

[Nally Stand]

(For maths geeks only)

I wonder will their sentence be the square root of minus one months?

Very complex!

Pi thought so too

[Wildweasel74]

Any of this scum had to work in Belfast every day, drive 40+miles to and from work, actually do a f**king job or try to get one instead of forcing decent people who are working away for this economy and their families, actually get up at 6.20am instead of after dinner time, they find out they wouldn't have time for any of this crap, as they be living in the real world instead of expecting us to provide a living for them on benefits. Loyalism thrives in less well off areas, these areas want handout, how about going out and try make it living like the decent people living in Northern Ireland