Loyalist flags now on "every lamppost" at new development
UVF flags or other loyalist emblems now appear on "every lamppost" at a new social housing development, as tenants prepare for their first full week in their homes.
Complaints were first made earlier this year about the flags at Killynure Green, on the outskirts of Carryduff on the outskirts of south Belfast.
But despite ongoing negotiations which appeared to have reduced the scale of the problem to one flag, dozens more loyalist emblems were erected just as residents prepared to move in.
On Thursday homeowners received the keys to more than 40 homes at the development, situated in the predominantly unionist Killynure estate.
Choice Housing, the association responsible for the properties, posted that its "super energy efficient new homes" were finally ready.
Ulster Unionist councillor Michael Henderson said he was "appalled" at the sight of the flags at the development.
He said: "I was up last week for the opening of the play park. There was one flag up and the community association had been negotiating with people about taking the flags down. I was appalled to then go up on Friday and see every lamp post covered."
The former Mayor of Castlereagh added: "At the last meeting to discuss it it appeared as if it had been resolved and I don't know what has gone wrong here. No-one knows who put them up."
In March, residents who spoke to The Irish News said they were "disgusted" at the flags, while SDLP councillor Brian Hanvey said it was “regrettable in this day and age”.
He said: “Things like this should be consigned to the past. Having lived in the area for 30 years I know this is in no way a reflection on the good people of Carryduff."
However the PSNI had said it would not be acting to remove the flags and logos as it had "not received any complaints from members of the public".
In a statement, Choice Housing said it was "continuing to engage with the police service, political representatives and local community and remains committed to resolving this issue."
For those not in the know, Northern Ireland is the kind of place where it is of the utmost importance, to some cunts, to clearly designate areas as either protestant (/unionist/loyalist) or catholic (/nationalist/republican). This is most commonly in the form of painting the kerbstones in national colours or by sticking up a shit load of flags around the area. There's also the frequent use of murals although my views on them is slightly more nuanced. The real shittiness comes when anyone suggests taking them down at which point it becomes a massive effort to get anyone in a position of authority to back such moves without dragging their heels and trying to pander to the lowest common denominator of the local dickheads. In the end we have great sights such as in this article where brand new housing is automatically labelled as safe for x group only and the division of communities continues.
It is, clearly, my opinion that the local councils and police service have a duty to remove these types of signs at the earliest possibility if they are to be at all sincere in their claims of working for the resolution of centuries old conflicts. Northern Ireland is simply a lost cause and will never progress if we simply paper over old bigotries and refuse to confront them.
Your thoughts?
