PUL

Putting The Unity Into Community

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By the end of today counting in the local council elections should be completed. Candidates in Belfast are vying for one of 60 seats on the city council, including former TUV but now independent candidate Jolene Bunting in the Court district. Will voters identify with her message of conservative values and feelings of persecution? This is the second selection of Bunting’s posters – see previously Not Politically Correct. (For ‘Soldier F’ see Stop The Witch-Hunt; for ‘IRA terrorists’ on the council, see Vote All Unionist.)

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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Ireland Out Of Britain

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Sınn Féın leader Mary Lou McDonald drew criticism for appearing behind an “England get out of Ireland” banner at the St Patrick’s day parade in New York city (BBC-NI). This Shankill Road graffiti reverses the sentiment (replacing “Britain” with “England”), commenting perhaps on the difficulty the Northern Ireland border poses for the UK’s attempt to exit the European Union.

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Stop The Witch Hunt

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21 soldiers of the Parachute Regiment opened fire on marchers in Derry on January 30th, 1972, killing thirteen people (on the day; one more died later). One of them – codenamed “Soldier F” – was charged last month by the Public Prosecution Service in the deaths of James Wray and William McKinney and wounding of four others. Family members of the deceased reacted with disappointment (e.g. BBC-NI | Kate Nash on Twitter) while others, such as pressure group Justice For NI Veterans decried the PPS decision. The poster above in support of Soldier F is being pasted in north and west Belfast and perhaps beyond. The poster shows protesters facing off against British soldiers in William Street shortly before they opened fire. (See also And The Next Moment …) Posters on the Shankill, however, are being torn down (see second image, below) perhaps (confirmation: BelTel) in sympathy with two locals killed by the Army in 1972 (Irish News | AP video). The Paratroop flag is shown flying on the Ballysillan Road.

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The Rifles Of The UDA

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South East Antrim UDA, 1st battalion, mural, complete with assault rifle, next to the Youth & Community Centre at the Diamond in Rathcoole. Two men from the area were convicted in December (2018) for attempting to purchase Glock pistols from PSNI officers posing as ‘dark web’ sellers (BelTel). Fears of a feud continue (Belfast Live).

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Not Politically Correct

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Former TUV but now independent Councillor Jolene Bunting (web) was elected from the Court district in west Belfast in 2014. Her 2019 campaign posters (seen here around Lanark Way and Shankill Road) have drawn criticism (NewsLetter) – in addition to those shown here are “Put veterans before immigrants” and “Local homes for local people”. Her appeal against a 4-month suspension for anti-Islamic remarks was rejected last week, despite her claim that elected representatives have enhanced freedom of speech (Irish Times).

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The Somme 1916

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The ‘Liverpool No. 4 battalion’ UVF mural in Tynan Drive, Monkstown, (seen previously) has been replaced by a Dee Craig (Fb) mural to the soldiers of the Ulster Volunteers (see the ‘bleeding hand’ symbol in the apex) at the Somme. The small plaque on the fence to John Webster (a.k.a. Webber), Lee Irwin & Steven Cook, remains.

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The Irish Regiments

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Various other murals pay tribute to the 10th and 16th Irish divisions alongside the 36th division (see, e.g., We Are The DeadBrothers In Arms | Killed Wounded Missing | Their Only Colour Was Khaki) but this tarp outside the Whiteabbey British Legion (Fb) shows instead the eight regiments raised in Ireland, whose battalions served not only these three but many other divisions: Royal Irish Rifles, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, Royal Irish Fusiliers, Connaught Rangers, Leinster Regiment, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, Royal Irish Fusiliers [should be Royal Irish Regiment], Royal Munster Fusiliers. The geographical distribution of the regiments (royal-irish.com has a map of the recruiting districts in Ireland; for battalions, divisions served, and regimental headquarters, see WP.) The background image is of the 36th in their trenches at the Battle Of The Somme.

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Three Scottish Soldiers

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Highland Fusiliers Joseph McCaig (18), (his brother) John McCaig (17), and Dougald McCaughey (23) were lured by members of the (P)IRA from a city-centre pub to their deaths in the fields above Ligoniel in 1971 (WP). Their deaths contributed to the resignation of Chichester-Clark and the introduction of internment in August. There are monuments to the three men in Ballysillan and at the site of their deaths on White Brae depicted on the right of the mural – for images of the monuments see The Highland. This new Rathcoole mural to their memory replaces one to Queen Elizabeth II.

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North Down Ulster Young Militants

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2nd battalion, D company, North Down UDA/UYM board in Inisharoan Court, Newtownards. For other North Down UDA boards, see North Down West Belfast.

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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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They Control You

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Ending The Harm is a Department Of Justice (Tackling Paramilitarism Programme) campaign of posters, radio ads, and hard-hitting videos (YouTube) aimed at combatting paramilitary-style violence. This hoarding is on Newtownards Road, in competition with the UVF mural in the Iceland car-park (see Please Pay Here).

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