Council to fly flag for Armed Forces Day

This involves the flying of a specially commissioned flag from June 21 until after June 26.

The decision to go ahead with the celebration will be subject to equality screening, and if appropriate, equality impact assessment.

When the council flew the flag last year they received three written complaints and Sinn Fein Youth staged a protest outside the Civic Centre.

Sinn Fein representatives also made a formal complaint to the Equality Commission of an alleged failure by the council to comply with its Equality Scheme.

Councillor Ronnie Harkness said that out of a population of 80,000 they had only received three objections.

He pointed out this was not the Union Flag and said that during his time on the council no one from the unionists protested about parades in the borough which included flags and emblems which would alienate the unionist community.

Saying he was 100 per cent in support of the men and women of the armed forces he proposed that the council goes ahead with the celebration.

Councillor Johnny McGibbon, of Sinn Fein, was strongly opposed to the proposal saying there was a different viewpoint about the British Army in an area which was once known as the murder triangle.

He proposed that the council should just note the correspondence on the matter.

Alderman Stephen Moutray said that young people from the UK, of which Northern Ireland is an integral part, had gone to Iraq and Afghanistan and far too little was done to recognise the sacrifice they had made.

He seconded the proposal made by Councillor Harkness and it was carried by nine votes to five with one abstention.