The Nestlé logo features a bird feeding its young in a nest but in this sticker the tree is dead and the bird has fallen to the ground. The QR code at the centre of the sticker takes one to a Swiss site (orghan.ch) making the case (in German) that “Nestlé exploits & kills for profit. A good product is a free product. Greenwashing against climate.”.
The Don Patricio/Patrick O’Connell mural at the bottom of the Whiterock Road was refreshed for Féıle 2024. The major change is in the middle of the mural, where Lionel Messi – who went to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and then to Inter Miami in 2023 – has been replaced by current stars Aitana Bonmatí and Lamine Yamal. (A modern soccer-ball replaces the leather ball of the original mural, patches have been added to O’Connell’s jacket, and the FAI trophy and the large Cup Winner’s medal has been removed to make room for Bonmatí.) The new mural was relaunched on August 2nd, 2024, with an address by the director of the FC Barcelona museum at Camp Nou (Belfast Media).
For more – on O’Connell’s career as a player and manager, the emblems in the stands, and the headlines on the newspaper – see From Celtic Park To Barcelona.
“National Republican Commemoration Committee national Easter commemoration: assemble at Creggan shops – 2pm Monday 21st April 2025 for march to the People’s Monument — Free Derry Corner. Wear your Easter lily with pride.”
Easter Monday falls late this year – April 21st – though still not as late as it did in 1916, when it was on the 24th. The event is typically celebrated at Easter, regardless of its proximity to the 24th, though for the centenary in 2016, anti-Agreement republicans commemorated the Rising on April 24th, specifically, while others paraded at Easter (which was at the end of March).
This Saoradh (web) board calling for attendance at the national march from Creggan to the new (2022) “People’s Monument” in Rossville Street is in Hugo Street, west Belfast
For an explanation of this latest message on Black Mountain, see Gael Force Art’s Facebook page. An Irish tricolour would later joing the lettering shown here, though the piece had a short life-span, as it was replaced a message supporting Kneecap (for background see Seas Le Kneecap).
World War II ended in Europe at 11 p.m. on May 8th, after Germany’s unconditional surrender to the Allied forces. The date was dubbed “Victory In Europe Day” or “VE Day” and this year (2025) marks its eightieth anniversary. For the occasion, this Shankill Road shop-window has been decorated with sandbags and camouflage netting, along with a vintage photograph of the residents of nearby “Wiltton” [Wilton] Street from the summer of 1945.
The text on the poster (lower down the road) reads: “‘My dear friends, this is your hour. This is not the victory or of any class, it’s a victory of the Great British people as a whole. We were the first, in these ancient isles, to draw the sword against tyranny.’ – Prime Minister Winston S Churchill”. The lines come from brief remarks Churchill made to the crowds assembled at the Ministry Of Health in London – the text can be found at Forces News; Pathé newsreel of Churchill’s earlier radio announcement of the end of the war can be found on youtube.
The large Miriam Daly board in Oakman Street was temporarily taken down while symbols and slogans to mark the fiftieth anniversary (“1974-2024”) of the creation of the INLA on December 8th, 1974 (WP) were mounted.
The wall was completed by early December, 2024, and the roll of honour added in the top-left corner by the end of the month. Those listed are: Hugh Ferguson, Danny Loughran, Brendan McNamee, Miriam Daly, Ronnie Bunting, Noel Little, Jim Power, Matt McLarnon, Joe Craven, Paul “Bonanza” McCann, Thomas “Ta” Power, John O’Reilly, Mickey Kearney, Emmanual Gargan, Gino Gallagher, John McColgan, Patrick Campbell, Christopher “Crip” McWilliams, Harry O’Hara, Barry “Bar” McMullan, Martin McElkerney, James McWilliams. The last five post-date the Agreement, starting with Patrick Campbell, who died in 1999 at the hands of drug-dealers in Dublin (Irish Times | Bel Tel).
Kneecap performed their Coachella sets in front of a large screen onto which messages were projected, including denunciation of the Israeli “genocide” of Palestinians “enabled” by the US (Rolling Stone).
Many cancelled gigs followed, as well as a call from Sharon Osbourne that the band’s work visas be revoked (BBC). In response, Kneecap insisted that their speech was not an incitement to violence (BBC).
The band’s visas might also be in jeopardy because the band has parted ways with booking agents IAG, which sponsored the band’s US tour (Hollywood Reporter).
Further, scrutiny of past performances revealed pro-Hamas and -Hizbollah chants, which have now led to an investigation by the UK’s anti-terror police (NME). The band also apologized for a 2023 remark that “the only good Tory [Conservative MP] is a dead Tory” (BBC).
Many artists and bands have come out in support of Kneecap – about 40 put their names to a statement posted to instagram. The band also has the support of the graffitist in the image above: “Free Palestine – silence = complicity. Seas le Kneecap [stand with Kneecap]”.
The Glúıne Caıpín (Caıpín Glúıne/Kneecap/Ní cheapaım) chocolate bar (below) was purchased in a Castle Street newsagents.
“Build Casement now. Tóg é anoıs [Build it now]. Ógra SF”. Plans to redevelop Casement Park/Paırc Mhıc Ásmaınt go back to 2009 but a series of problems – with planning permission, objections from locals, insufficient funding, and the contractor going bust – has meant that the stadium has been boarded up and deserted since 2013 (balls.ie).
There were hopes that Casement would be renovated in time for the 2028 Euros, but the new Labour government declined to contribute and those plans were shelved. A rally was held last month (April 12th) to put pressure on government ministers – both in Stormont and Westminster – to make Casement’s rehabilitation a priority (BBC | RTÉ).
In this graffiti outside the Royal Victoria Hospital, west Belfast, a person in a white coat faces a tank bearing an Israeli flag. Israel’s renewed bombardment of Gaza on March 18th killed more than 400 people (Independent), including an OB-GYN specialist in Rafah (Al-Jazeera); on the 23rd, an airstrike on Nasser Hospital killed five (Reuters).
Detailed figures of casualties among health-care workers in Gaza can be found at Healthcare Workers Watch.
“Fáılte chuıg otharlann Al-Shıfa – hathaınmníodh R.V.H. i gcuımhne ar na foırne leıghıs agus ar na hothaır ar fad a maraíodh le linn chınedhíothú Iosrael sa Phalaıstín in 2023. R.V.H. renamed in memory of all medical staff and patients murdered during Israel’s genocide in Palestine in 2023.”
al-Shifa hospital is in Gaza City, Gaza. It was closed on April 1st (2024) after the hospital was raided (for a second time) by the IDF (WP).
The placard was mounted by BDS Belfast in March (Fb). The “Occupation no more” sticker on the adjacent pole is from the 1916 Societies (web).