This sectarian poster was erected at the shops on the Crumlin Road on the day of the recent Tour of the North parade. It was later removed but it continues to appear on the website of the Greater Ardoyne Resident Collective.
The message will be understood by most people as a clear threat of violence by dissident republicans if members of the Orange Order exercise their right of peaceful assembly.
How is that sectarian or even evidence of a threat ?
ReplyDeleteI think you are deliberately misinterpreting the sign. It says NO parades, NO violence, as in NO to violence and NO to parades. It's a pro-peace sign and anti-sectarian parade sign.
Shocking how you can call this sectarian, but not the coat-trailing bigots of the Orange Order the the rest of the sectarian loyalist parades who triumphalise through areas were they are not wanted.
Peaceful assembly ? can an Irish republican Easter parade march through the Shankill ?
Innocent question, why is the Orangeman's face painted as black?
ReplyDeleteNelson, if you and your community are so concerned about a sign and the meaning behind its motto? Why not contact G.A.R.C. and seek a meeting?
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the group would accomadate you and anyone else who seeks a resolution to unwelcome and secterian parades being forced through Ardoyne.
Regards your language about dissident republicans...How is it that G.A.R.C. have written to community and political leaders asking for dialogue and clearly stating that they are residents NOT dissidents? Maybe you've been misled by a certain political party?
"The message will be understood by most people as a clear threat of violence by dissident republicans if members of the Orange Order exercise their right of peaceful assembly."
ReplyDeleteDo me a favour... if the poster was written in Irish I could forgive your misinterpretation, but clearly the poster is not a threat of violence... it says "NO VIOLENCE".
Lets not try and up the ante to score political points... eh? Oh yea, that can't happen... this is NI and scoring political points on behalf of the community, elected representatives claim to represent, comes 1st to peoples practical lives and common sense.
The poster proclaiming residents protests to the march, is no less justified than OO arguments to be able to march. Surely the stance of the OO at Drumcree this year is far more threatening to civil order than a poster appealing for non-violence?
Those who claim that the GARC message has a benign meaning would have a stronger case if it were not for the fact that the GARC has issued a call to 'Catholic/nationalist and republican people from near and far to come and stand shoulder to shoulder with the beleaguered Ardoyne community for the Twelfth of July parade.' That is the language of confrontation.
ReplyDeleteThis is not an appeal to local residents or even to residents from the 'Greater Ardoyne' area but to Roman Catholics, nationalists and republicans from near and far.'
I note that Sinn Fein have criticsed the GARC as 'self-styled and non-elected'.
It is clear that the GARC is intent on creating tension and division and the statement clearly vindicates my criticism.
I would also point out that the GARC vision of Greater Ardoyne, whatever that means, does not include Orangemen and other Protestants who live in Upper Ardoyne. The GARC seems to want a Protestant-free Ardoyne.
If someone in England or the Irish Republic put up a poster with a black person crossed out and saying that they do not want any black people walking past their houses, they would be branded as racist and rightly so.
ReplyDeleteEqually if in some African country a similar poster were ercted with a white person crossed out and saying that they do not want white people walking past their houses, those responsible would be branded as racist.
That is why I say that the GARC poster is sectarian.
I see that despite the challenge above to contact GARC and seek clarification and/or a meeting, hasn't been availed by Nelson. I wonder why, maybe he's believing what others with a cynical political agenda are saying?
ReplyDeleteThe sad fact is that the Loyal Orders of which you are a member, are secterian because they will not allow Catholics to become members!
The other issue is that, it is contary to what Nelson claims, 'Upper Ardoyne' is in fact called Glenbryn since it was built in the 1930's.....
What is meant by; No Parade - No Violence is that every year secterian Orders march through our community there is violence.
ReplyDeleteTherefore, if there's no parade there will be no violence. We can all play the semantic game Nelson. Although, we'd much prefer a solution rather than creating problems, after all, it is the Loyal Orders and NOT GARC who insist on marching where they are clearly not welcome!
Would the Woodvale, Ballysillan and Ligoniel residents be content if Republicans applied for a march from Ligoniel to Ardoyne down the Crumlin Road? Would that also be classed as, their 'right' to peaceful assembly and if so, would you defend it?
Give it a rest Nelson - people come from FAR and wide to go to Drumcree and rub their noses in it - remember Ian and David's little victory jig?
ReplyDeleteThe OO and its followers are the ones causing tension by bringing their intolerant and triumphalist marches onto nationalist doorsteps. There are only a handful of contentious marches, yet these are the ones that attract people from all over the place to attend.
Oh and Nelson - your comparisons are crazy. It would be more accurate to compare it to a black community putting up a sign of a man in KKK drab saying they didn't want them walking past their houses."
ReplyDeleteGreater Ardoyne Residents Collective,
ReplyDeleteNo one has answered the question I posed yet, didn't think it was that difficult:
Why did you design the Orangeman on your poster with a black face?
Sorry Nelson, I can't agree with you that the GARC want a Protestant free Ardoyne seeing as I personally know several Protestants who live in the Nationist Ardoyne! They have lived there peacefully for many years.
ReplyDeleteGARC - As regards the use of the term 'Upper Ardoyne' it is worth pointing out that Hesketh and Glenbryn are on either side of the ARDOYNE ROAD.
ReplyDeleteThe GARC poster and the GARC website either predicted or promised, depending on your viewpoint, republican violence if there was an Orange parade ... and that is what happened.
ReplyDeleteThere was an illegal protest organised by dissident republicans, including at least one who came all the way from Londonderry to be offended! But then the GARC invited people to come from far and wide.
That illegal protest provided the context in which criminal thugs were able to attack the police. Moreover some of those attacks were attempted murder. Afterwards the rioters, some of them young children, wrecked their own community.
GREATER ARDOYNE RESIDENTS COLLECTIVE SPOKESPERSON MARTIN OG MEEHAN, COMMENTS ON YESTERDAY'S UNWELCOME ORANGE PARADE FORCED THROUGH ARDOYNE.
ReplyDelete'Firstly, our analysis proved correct Loyal Orders who insist on coat-trailing acts of bigotry through our area. Permitted by the detached Parades Commission and last but not least, the PSNI who once again are seen in the eyes of the world, ready and willing by any means necessary to ensure the greater Ardoyne community is subject to intimidation and humiliation. So much for the Ireland of Equals, where do we fit in?
G.A.R.C. are on public record appealing for a peaceful and dignified protest. We held a white-line picket on the Crumlin Road from 2pm - 4.30pm yesterday. We decided on a sit-down protest which lasted until 8pm.
Our activists also appealed and remonstrated with youth people to refrain from acts of violence. However, as history has shown their anger and frustration against an unwelcome parade again spilled over. The politics of condemnation doesn't work, the media should focus on the core issue. Secterian marches are NOT welcome, our community are NOT the hosts as our survey proves! As we stated in the past and do again, if there were NO Parades there would be NO Violence. The Loyal Orders must now stop insisting on marching through our community and allow Ardoyne residents to live in peace.
In conclusion, the Greater Ardoyne Residents Collective will continue to speak to ALL interested parties and individuals in attempts to resolve this contentious issue, once and for ALL'.
Nelson, regardless of where Glenbryn begins or ends...
ReplyDeleteThe area has never nor will ever be part of greater or upper Ardoyne.
In saying that, without proper dialogue and a little courage on your part...GARC and the Loyal Orders could and should engage in discussions to ensure everyones' rights are respected?