Unionist anger is growing in Limavady claims politician

TUV Councillor Boyd Douglas said that the removal of British symbols from Limavady showed an “intolerant approach” that he believes nationalists and republicans would like to implement elsewhere.

DUP MLA George Robinson has said that the removal of all symbols of Britishness, “even a Princess Diana mug”, from Limavady’s council building is something that “has caused great resentment in the unionist community ever since.” He also bemoaned the failure to fly the union flag from Stormont all year round, since it was where Ministers carry out “British parliamentary-style procedures and decide on local changes to British laws.”

In a statement issued to this newspaper, TUV councillor Boyd Douglas spoke about outrage in the unionist community: “Recent developments in relation to the Union Flag protests have caused understandable outrage throughout the Unionist community.

“While Sean Hughes is charged with IRA membership and speaking at a meeting encouraging support for an illegal organisation he was able to obtain bail while victims’ campaigner William Frazer – who has a clean record – was refused bail. The only word which can be used to describe such a situation is perverse.

“Many people will regard this as an attempt to suppress legitimate protest and rather than calming the situation has served to enflame it. A community which already sees itself as under attack following the tearing down of the National Flag from the prime civic building in Northern Ireland will only feel a greater disconnect with the establishment.

“Of course in Limavady the Council refuses to recognise Northern Ireland’s constitutional status within the United Kingdom by not flying the Union Flag at all, not even on Designated Days. This intolerant approach shows where Republicans and Nationalists want to take our capital. Their aim is to eventually strip us of all vestiges of Britishness in order to aid the Belfast Agreement’s all-Ireland agenda”.

DUP MLA George Robinson also spoke about the removal of all British symbols from Limavady, during a debate at Stormont. He said: ““It saddens me that, although British rule and law is administered in this Building, the national flag is flown only on designated days to pander to the needs of some parties who want to achieve nothing else but the removal of a legitimate emblem of the United Kingdom.”

Mr Robinson, who is also elected to Limavady Borough Council, added: “In my council in Limavady, the Union flag and other symbols, even a mug belonging to Princess Diana, were removed by the republican/nationalist bloc a few years ago, and that has caused great resentment in the unionist community ever since.”

Meanwhile, the Parade’s Commission is currently seeking the views of people from Limavady at a public consultation meeting to be held next week (March 11, 6-8pm at the Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre) as part of a series of meetings to be held across Northern Ireland.

Parades commission Chairman Peter Osborne said: “We are looking forward to the event in Limavady and hope that members of the public will take this opportunity to engage with us.”