The heroes of the past are the soldiers of WWI and WWII (commemorated by the poppies growing in ACT Initiative‘s Shankill Road Community Garden, above, and in the 75th anniversary VE Day posters in Madrid Street, east Belfast, below); the present-day heroes are the doctors, nurses, and staff of the NHS, symbolised by the rainbow in both images.
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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Ian Ogle (“Big O”) was standing at this spot (Cluan Place and Albertbridge Road) on the night of January 27th, 2019, when he was assaulted and stabbed by a gang of men. Three UVF members have been charged with his death though the UVF say the killing was not sanctioned (Sunday Life). The family continue to campaign for a safer east Belfast (BelTel).
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Copyright © 2020 Sabine Troendle (web | Fb)
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May 8th this year (2020) marks the 75th anniversary of victory over the Nazis in Europe, or VE Day. (The war against Japan would not end until August 1945.) Celebrations were muted, however, by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which meant that people dared not congregate in parades or services to mark the occasion. The bunting above is in Sperrin Park in Londonderry’s Caw, which took part in the socially-distanced street party; the window below, which gives dual attention to both VE Day and NHS workers, is in Alexandra Park Avenue in Belfast.
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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Atypical is a disabled-led arts organisation and gallery. Leo Boyd (ig) decorated the construction hoarding in front of the offices in Royal Avenue, Belfast (along with another in Bryan Street, Ballymena) (VA News Sheet).
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Copyright © 2020 Sabine Troendle
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Here are selection of pandemic-related images, many expressing support for the NHS, from Belfast, that were not the subject of individual posts. The first and last of these are from CNR west Belfast (“God bless our NHS” is outside St Paul’s in Cavendish St and the tarp below Charlie Hughes is from the RNU) while the hand-made sheet is in PUL west Belfast (Denmark St) – an indication of the cross-community support for health-care and other “key” workers. The graffiti (“Coronavirus kings”) is on the Dublin Road.
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“The face of community policing?? Not in our name. Reject all forms of British political policing in Ireland.” The 32 County Sovereignty Movement lost its Facebook page this month, but its poster campaign against harassment and imprisonment of members continues.
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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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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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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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Extramural Activity 