Kashmir has remained a disputed territory since the partition of India in 1947. It remains under Indian administration, despite different groups rebelling since 1987, some seeking union with Pakistan and others an independent Kashmir. Indian forces have been accused of human rights abuses against Kashmiris. For the mural on the right, see This Is Our Republic.
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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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“Say no to death dealers”. Saoradh sticker on Divis Street, west Belfast, against drug dealers.
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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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“There’s always hope, there’s always help” for mental health issues, from organisations such as Lighthouse, Lifeline, the Simon Community, Childline, the Samaritans, PIPS. Two other unusual things about the mural: it invites passers-by not only to sign the mural (like the latest version of Build Homes Now to its left) but to “write a message of hope” (as occurs on the so-called “peace” line in Cupar Way); and it explicitly says that “this space is kindly on loan from the Workers Party” (replacing the long-standing ‘Bring Down The Walls’ mural).
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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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St Pauli is a Hamburg soccer club with a wide following due to the “gegen Rechts” [against the right] philosophy of its fans. Supporters clubs can be found in places as far-flung as Belfast, Liverpool, Bilbao, Stockholm, San Francisco, and (naturally!) St Paul (Minnesota, USA). This sticker was in a Cultúrlann bathroom in west Belfast. See also: FC Sankt Pauli sticker in 2010.
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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Republican Sınn Féın and Provisional Sınn Féın were formed in 1986, when Sınn Féın split over the issue of taking Dáil seats. They reject the Belfast Agreement and support the use of force; the poster above calls for political status for prisoners, the same issue that led to the blanket protest and hunger strikes. (Their web site is in fact republicansinnfein.org; they are also on Twitter.)
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Lasaır Dhearg (Fb | tw | web) next week (Thursday 30th) will have three speakers on the theme of Political Policing & Oppressive Legislation, starting at 7 in Conway Mill. The sticker above (with Red Section) is on Divis Street, west Belfast. “RUC – PSNI: Different name, same aim”.
Below are two more stickers, the first quoting Patrick Pearse: “Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam”, the second with a call to “End imperialism in Ireland”. The final sticker is from Lasair Dhearg only (not Red Section): Britain Out Of Ireland with Prince Charles in his paratrooper beret.
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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle X06972 X06975
Copyright © 2020 Sabine Troendle (web | Fb) X07076
Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle X07752
Here is a final image from the election campaign for the December 12th Westminster elections, a plastic board on the fence around the construction site on Alliance Avenue, inviting voters to “make history” by returning a nationalist MP in Belfast North, specifically Sinn Féin’s John Finucane.
Other posts from the 2019 election: Spud U Dislike | Dumbest Ulster Prods | Ireland’s Brexit Solution | Still Support Brexit | Sinn Fein IRA’s Golden Boy | Steeped In Blood | No Fouling | No Shame | What Does Brexit Mean | The Anti-Brexit Candidate
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06934 Alliance Ave
“Vote Dodds [Nigel Dodds of the DUP] – Vote Mr. Potato Head – Spud U dislike”. Poster on the Antrim Road from the recent electoral campaign. Dodds lost his Belfast North seat to Sınn Féın’s John Finucane. Jacket potato restaurant Spudulike closed all of its stores in August 2019 (Guardian) but opened again under new ownership in eight locations in October (iNews).
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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“Vote Dumbest Ulster Prods – Red Sky, RHI, Brexit & IRIS.” Red Sky was a maintenance company that, due to complaints from residents about shoddy work, caused a dispute between the DUP and the NIHE (WP). The RHI [Renewable Heat Initiative] was a scheme, overseen by the DUP’s Arlene Foster, to encourage the burning of eco-friendly pellets but in fact allowed users to make a profit outright (WP). Iris Robinson, DUP member representing Strangford at both Westminster and Stormont, sat on the committee that awarded her 19 year-old lover the franchise over a Castlereagh Borough restaurant and secured a 50,000 pound loan for him of which she then received 5,000 pounds (WP). The poster above (ironically) encourages a vote for the DUP in the December 2019 Westminster election; the DUP lost seats in Belfast North and Belfast South, and failed to capture North Down upon the retirement of independent unionist Sylvia Hermon.
Below: One of the posters still rolling in 2022.
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“Ireland’s Brexit solution: a united Ireland, a workers republic, a socialist Europe. Spoil your ballot – write Workers Republic! www.socialistdemocracy.org” Although it’s not clear from the poster above, the desired position is for a federal (“United States of”) Europe rather than EU membership in its current form.
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Extramural Activity 