Belfast rioting over removal of Union Jack

[laceer]

Cheers. A good founderin' will hopefully sort them out

[AQMP]

Good to see they're going to block The Queen's Jubilee Roundabout in Larne.  Another example of the chip, chip, chipping away at our Irishness!

[Milltown Row2]

Good to see they're going to block The Queen's Jubilee Roundabout in Larne.  Another example of the chip, chip, chipping away at our Irishness!

I had a hand in making thon thing 

[glens abu]

A small number of senior UVF men are directing the riots in east Belfast that have brought shame on Northern Ireland.

Two senior henchmen of the UVF chief in east Belfast have ignored warnings from the organisation's leadership to bring an end to the violence which has left dozens of PSNI officers injured and cost millions of pounds.

And while the UVF's leader in the east of the city — as the 'Beast from the East' — could end the rioting immediately, he has failed to bring his men under control.

On Monday night — when police were forced to fire plastic bullets after being attacked with petrol bombs, hatchets and sledgehammers — the east Belfast 'battalion commander' used his influence to order an end to the attacks on police for the night.

But he has taken little involvement since then.

"He is not organising all of this but he could stop it if he wanted," a community source said.

A security source added: "Their boss isn't stopping them... he does have the power to stop it."

The lives of east Belfast's residents and its traders have been thrown into turmoil by the few hundred people who have been called out to riot. The main man behind the riots is second in command of the UVF in east Belfast.

From the Newtownards Road area, he has been determined to keep the violence churning after his partner — who is the sister of the second man helping to organise the riots — was allegedly struck by a police baton during disorder in the area at the weekend.

It is understood that the woman was arrested by police on Saturday for public order offences.

"He (the second in command) would have more power than their commander to get people out on the streets," the source added.

His accomplice, from the Sydenham area of east Belfast, is currently on bail for drugs offences.

"Look what he has been able to help do to the area over the past week. I'm pretty sure he's in breach of any bail conditions," another source said.

"The refusal of both men to stop directing the riots has raised fears that the UVF within east Belfast is out of control and could split from the mainstream terror organisation.

"The UVF has not ordered people out rioting. In the east its members are doing their own thing," the source added.

It is not the first time the UVF in east Belfast has acted without authority of the organisation's leadership. In June 2011 the 'Beast from the East' directed riots in the area.

Both the main organisers of the current riots were part of a loyalist delegation that met First Minister Peter Robinson in the summer of 2011 when politicians moved to calm the situation after the UVF was linked by police to an organised attack on the nationalist Short Strand.

More than £7m has been spent policing the loyalist flag protests and associated disorder. A large number of local traders have warned that the disturbances are ruining their businesses and some could be forced to close down.





Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/the-beast-from-east-belfast-could-put-an-end-to-flags-violence-right-now-but-he-wonrsquot-16259762.html#ixzz2HfdwH5tk

[Jeepers Creepers]

Friday 11 January

3.30pm - Alliance Office, 56 Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast
4.45pm – Lanark Way, Shankill, Belfast
5.30pm – Shops at West Winds, then heading to Conway Square, Newtownards, Belfast (note change of time)
6.00pm – 8.00pm – Multiple protests are stating to be occurring province wide across Northern Ireland – this is now being called 'Operation Standstill'. Intelligence at present suggests that protests will take place in north Belfast, Newtownards, Bangor, Portadown, Ballynahinch, Rathcoole, Dundonald, Newtownards Road and Larne. Other locations are also expected to hold protests.
6.00pm – Langley Road Pavilion, Ballynahinch
6.00pm – Boyne Bridge, Sandy Row, Belfast
6.00pm – Cregagh Estate, Belfast
6.00pm – Harbour Car Park, Carrickfergus (changed from Castle Car Park)
6.00pm – Queen's Jubilee Roundabout, Larne
6.00pm – Cambrai Street / Crumlin Road, Belfast
6.00pm – Robbs Road, Upper Newtownards Road, Dundonald, Belfast
6.00pm – Abbey Street, Bangor
6.00pm – Magherafelt, Magherafelt (no further details given)   
6.00pm – Cloughfern Corner, Newtownabbey
6.00pm – Town Centre (meet at War Memorial), Portadown
6.00pm – Liverpool (current intelligence suggests the protest is likely to take place on the steps outside of St George's Hall)
6.00pm – Albertbridge Road, Belfast
6.00pm – Bottom of Braniel Estate, Knock Carriageway, Belfast
6.00pm - Brown Square, Shankill
6.00pm - Castlereagh Road at Clonduff entrance, Belfast
6.00pm – Mount Vernon, Shore Road, Belfast
6.00pm – Glengormley Town Centre, Glengormley
6.00pm – Kilkeel, Kilkeel
6.00pm – George Square, Glasgow
6.00pm – Top of Town Roundabout, Antrim
6.00pm – Ballyclare (meet at Square), Ballyclare
6.00pm – Town hall, Ballymoney
6.00pm – Bloomfield Road Roundabout, Belfast
6.00pm – Broadway Roundabout, Belfast
6.00pm – Castlereagh Road / Beersbridge Road, Belfast (listed separately to the previously listed Castlereagh Road at Clonduff protest)
6.00pm – Dub Stores, Malone Road, Belfast
6.00pm – Gunnell Hill / Whitewell Road, Belfast
6.00pm – Hesketh Road / Crumlin Road, Belfast
6.00pm – North Queen Street / Limestone Road, Belfast
6.00pm – Westland Estate, Belfast
6.00pm – Old Bridge, Coleraine
6.00pm – Seymour Hill (in front of the estate), Dunmurry
6.00pm – Garvagh, Garvagh
6.00pm – Greyabbey Roundabout, Greyabbey
6.00pm – Newbuildings, Londonderry
6.00pm – Nelson Drive (Broomshill Hotel traffic lights), Londonderry
6.00pm – Whitehead, Whitehead
7.30pm – Town Centre, Portadown

Saturday 12 January

1.00pm – Belfast City Hall, Belfast
1.00pm – Outside of deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's office, 627 Pollockshaws Road, Glasgow
TBC – A protest is planned in Bristol, but not further details are available at present.

[Rois]

I am declaring my intention to take part in Operation Sit In - an intiative from the pubs and restaurants in the city centre to go there and wait out the storm.

I think it got coverage on Talkback on Radio Ulster.

Also just heard directly from Invest NI that 120 jobs that were set to come from an inward investment and be announced this month (photos already done by minister!!) have been lost due to the "civil unrest" that the investing company witnessed before Christmas. 

[Rossfan]

Time for Nationalist areas to start seeking investment promoting the line "no bother in our areas".
Amazing ( well not really -sure weren't they always at it ?)  how Nesbitt/Robbo/Orange Prder Revenrends etc have no difficulty talking to UVF and related Terrorists.
Also the silence from certain posters who regularly berate us on the ills of "our " side is very notable !

[Nally Stand]

Absolutely no mention of the Moy. Disappointing.

And once again, Carrickmore has been snubbed by the loyalist protesters. Don't know what we're doing wrong that we can't host one.

[spuds]

Rumour is there are huge demonstrations planned across the province from 6 this evening... is that true? I've to head home from Dublin and that would seriously affect me getting home.

Which province would that be, the same one BBC news refer to ?

[fitzroyalty]

bring back bull bars.

[Hereiam]

Absolutely no mention of the Moy. Disappointing.

And once again, Carrickmore has been snubbed by the loyalist protesters. Don't know what we're doing wrong that we can't host one.

That would be some craic if Wee Willie and a few of his friends landed in Carrickmore. That would be worth seeing. 

[heganboy]

Also just heard directly from Invest NI that 120 jobs that were set to come from an inward investment and be announced this month (photos already done by minister!!) have been lost due to the "civil unrest" that the investing company witnessed before Christmas.

Rois, the impact is actually worse than that- some large companies had final visits coming and their Execs have declined to visit given the "unrest" one large bank in particular...

[Rois]

Oh I don't doubt it - it was just a specific example from an Invest NI person who was in presenting to us today. 

[armaghniac]

Time for Nationalist areas to start seeking investment promoting the line "no bother in our areas".

Absolutely. Nationalist areas should promote themselves as good places to do business, with good schools and positive forward looking people. Since political progression is going to be away from unionism, places like Newry and Derry can move seamlessly to new arrangements in a pro-business United Ireland.

The only problem is that most nationalist "leaders" have neither the wit to realise this, nor the credibility to bring it about.

[Hardy]

I'm sorry, but do people really think that busness people in China, Japan or even most of the USA make a distinction between nationalist areas, loyalist areas and Neverland? The impact of this carry-on will be negative for everyone in the North and even for the rest of us as well, as the world's business classes watch what, to them, is a bunch mediaeval Irish people acting Balkan only worse, throw the InvestNI and IDA proposals in the bin and call Poland.