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03/12/2014
Society 'Must Learn From Flag Protests' - Report
Politicians and civil society must learn from the mistakes made during the Belfast flag protest, according to a new report released by Queen's University.
The report has been released on the second anniversary of the restriction of the flying of the union flag atop Belfast City Hall. Subsequent protests staged by loyalist groups resulted in numerous arrests. To date, the flag protests have cost over £21.9m.
Researchers at the Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation and Social Justice said the report shows that the flag protest called into question the ability of Northern Ireland’s politicians to resolve political issues.
It found that when politicians fail to find agreement on issues, they do not go away; that power 'leeches out”'onto the streets and the issues re-appear in the form of street protests and public disorder
The report, entitled 'The Flag Dispute: Anatomy of a Protest’, looks at the origins of the protest, how it developed and spread, the tactics of the police in managing demonstrations, the arrests and sentencing of protestors,and the political reactions..
Lead author of the study, Dr Paul Nolan, a researcher at the Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation and Social Justice at Queen’s, said: "The events analysed in the report demonstrate that when politicians fail to find agreement on issues, they do not go away. Instead power 'leeches out' onto the streets and the issues re-appear in the form of street protests and public disorder."
Co-author Dr Clare Dwyer, a researcher at the Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation and Social Justice at Queen’s, said: "The threat of criminalisation as a result of engaging in the protests was a great deterrent for many and altered the way the protest continued. But it also motivated others to participate in an effort to ensure protests remained peaceful and orderly."
Dr Katy Radford notes the particular role of older women in this regard, many of whom were keen to avoid 'a repetition of the past', as they witnessed a new generation of young men resistant to compromise and keen to demonstrate their 'defence' of a cultural identity.
Co-author, Dr Katy Hayward, a researcher at the Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation and Social Justice at Queen’s, said: "The causes of the flag protest are in many ways small scale versions of sources of difficulty in the wider peace process. As well as ongoing problems of poverty and marginalisation, we found familiar trends of cultural contestation and distrust of political institutions. In addition to this, powerful emotions - both uplifting and negative - shaped people's experience of the protest and contributed to its lasting impact on individuals and the wider community."
(IT/CD)
The report has been released on the second anniversary of the restriction of the flying of the union flag atop Belfast City Hall. Subsequent protests staged by loyalist groups resulted in numerous arrests. To date, the flag protests have cost over £21.9m.
Researchers at the Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation and Social Justice said the report shows that the flag protest called into question the ability of Northern Ireland’s politicians to resolve political issues.
It found that when politicians fail to find agreement on issues, they do not go away; that power 'leeches out”'onto the streets and the issues re-appear in the form of street protests and public disorder
The report, entitled 'The Flag Dispute: Anatomy of a Protest’, looks at the origins of the protest, how it developed and spread, the tactics of the police in managing demonstrations, the arrests and sentencing of protestors,and the political reactions..
Lead author of the study, Dr Paul Nolan, a researcher at the Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation and Social Justice at Queen’s, said: "The events analysed in the report demonstrate that when politicians fail to find agreement on issues, they do not go away. Instead power 'leeches out' onto the streets and the issues re-appear in the form of street protests and public disorder."
Co-author Dr Clare Dwyer, a researcher at the Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation and Social Justice at Queen’s, said: "The threat of criminalisation as a result of engaging in the protests was a great deterrent for many and altered the way the protest continued. But it also motivated others to participate in an effort to ensure protests remained peaceful and orderly."
Dr Katy Radford notes the particular role of older women in this regard, many of whom were keen to avoid 'a repetition of the past', as they witnessed a new generation of young men resistant to compromise and keen to demonstrate their 'defence' of a cultural identity.
Co-author, Dr Katy Hayward, a researcher at the Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation and Social Justice at Queen’s, said: "The causes of the flag protest are in many ways small scale versions of sources of difficulty in the wider peace process. As well as ongoing problems of poverty and marginalisation, we found familiar trends of cultural contestation and distrust of political institutions. In addition to this, powerful emotions - both uplifting and negative - shaped people's experience of the protest and contributed to its lasting impact on individuals and the wider community."
(IT/CD)
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The PSNI has said it will appeal a verdict by a judge who said that officers had facilitated illegal loyalist flag protests through a misapprehension regarding the law. High Court Judge Mr Justice Treacy said a senior officer had been mistaken in believing he was legally prevented from stopping parades and making arrests.
22 January 2013
Teenager Hurt At Flag Protest
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A teenager has been hit by a car during a flag protest in east Belfast. The boy was struck by the vehicle at the junction of Albertbridge Road and Templemore Avenue after 7pm on Monday night, according to police. He is believed to have injured his leg in the incident, however it is not thought to be serious.
10 January 2013
Dublin Flag Protest Called Off
A loyalist protest to be staged outside Leinster House in Dublin this Saturday has been called off. The move follows talks between An Garda Síochána and the protest’s planner, Willie Frazer. Gardai had been in the process of drawing up plans to police the protest, given the high chance of clashes between loyalists and dissident republicans.
Dublin Flag Protest Called Off
A loyalist protest to be staged outside Leinster House in Dublin this Saturday has been called off. The move follows talks between An Garda Síochána and the protest’s planner, Willie Frazer. Gardai had been in the process of drawing up plans to police the protest, given the high chance of clashes between loyalists and dissident republicans.
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