Vote For Me, Then Butt Out

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Local elections take place two weeks from today, on Thursday May 2nd. Some are fed up with the political status quo: “Tired of the same old self-serving rubbish? Maybe it’s time for a chance. Politicians are elected by you to serve you. Demand honesty, demand transparency, demand better.” The “blue” (unionist) candidate is described as having “superficial charm, egocentricity, untruthfulness & insincerity, lack of remorse & shame, poor judgement, failure to plan & learn from experience” and voters are counselled “when electing a candidate, always seek the advice of a qualified psychologist.” The placards are posted on Ormeau bridge, between nationalist lower Ormeau and unionist Annadale. At the top of the light-pole, actual candidate Paul Loughran is standing from People Before Profit, which we have seen before advertising in both loyalist and republican areas: see Pick And Mix.

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100 Years In Northern Ireland

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“Commemorating 100 years of the Royal Air Force in Northern Ireland.” This Donegall Road mural highlights six locations in the north and their connection to the RAF in WWI, including Bentra, near Whitehead, home to the Sea Scout airships that guarded Larne-Stranraer ferries against U-boats.

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Winter Is Over

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The long wait for fans of the television series Game Of Thrones is over as season eight commences this week. Season seven ended in August 2017. Above is Daenyres of House Targaryen, seeking to reclaim the Iron Throne from her base in the Bawnmore estate. Previously: The Night King.

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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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Springhill-Westrock Massacre

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The Department For Communities (web) is “re-imaging” the brick wall at the back of St Mary’s University College (along Ascaıll Ard Na bhFeá/Beechmount Avenue) into a fence. It’s not clear what, if anything, was wrong with the wall in physical terms. One possible “community” reason for the wall’s removal is to thereby remove the roughly 20 murals and 18 panels of CNR victims (original 15 + 3 more) on the wall. Whatever the reason, these will no longer have a home and some are being moved to other locations, including the Springhill-Westrock Massacre mural. For more information about the massacre, see the post about the board when it was in Ascaıll Ard Na bhFeá – The Truth Costs Nothing.

See also: the WBTA mural was moved from Beechmount Ave (Alternative Transport) to Clowney Street (Alternative Transport, Alternative Location).

Update: the conversion (from wall to fence) was completed in September (St Mary’s).

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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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Freedom For The Basque Country

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“Freedom for t[he] Basque country! Fucking bastards from Iruña.” Iruña is the Basque name for Pamplona, capital of Navarre, the district neighbouring the Basque Country and part of the greater Basque region but which has a majority pro-Spanish government.

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