This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/apr/10/good-friday-agreement-cameron-anniversary
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Good Friday agreement: Cameron marks 15th anniversary | Good Friday agreement: Cameron marks 15th anniversary |
| (7 days later) | |
| David Cameron has marked the 15th anniversary of the Good Friday agreement by claiming that every section of Northern Ireland's divided communities won through the peace accord. | David Cameron has marked the 15th anniversary of the Good Friday agreement by claiming that every section of Northern Ireland's divided communities won through the peace accord. |
| But as the prime minister noted that the agreement "decided overwhelmingly that the future would only ever be determined by democracy and consent, never by violence", a report on cross-community relations has found that recent sectarian disorder has "shaken faith in progress". | But as the prime minister noted that the agreement "decided overwhelmingly that the future would only ever be determined by democracy and consent, never by violence", a report on cross-community relations has found that recent sectarian disorder has "shaken faith in progress". |
| The latest Northern Ireland Community Relations Council report concludes that 2013 has been the most difficult year in terms of sectarian division and violence over the past decade. | The latest Northern Ireland Community Relations Council report concludes that 2013 has been the most difficult year in terms of sectarian division and violence over the past decade. |
| Dr Paul Nolan, author of the report, said that Northern Ireland is now a community of divided minorities. | Dr Paul Nolan, author of the report, said that Northern Ireland is now a community of divided minorities. |
| "There is now a demographic equilibrium, with a 48/45 split between those from a Protestant background and those from a Catholic background. | "There is now a demographic equilibrium, with a 48/45 split between those from a Protestant background and those from a Catholic background. |
| "No community has more than a 50% share. This is now a society made up of minorities," Nolan added. | "No community has more than a 50% share. This is now a society made up of minorities," Nolan added. |
| He said this equilibrium was disturbed violently by the flag dispute at Belfast city hall which started on 3 December when the council restricted the flying of the union flag. The result was weeks of street protests, some of them violent, in loyalist working-class districts not only in Belfast but across Northern Ireland. | He said this equilibrium was disturbed violently by the flag dispute at Belfast city hall which started on 3 December when the council restricted the flying of the union flag. The result was weeks of street protests, some of them violent, in loyalist working-class districts not only in Belfast but across Northern Ireland. |
| However, Nolan said the various armed dissident republican groups had failed to destabilise the political consensus and the power-sharing settlement at Stormont. | However, Nolan said the various armed dissident republican groups had failed to destabilise the political consensus and the power-sharing settlement at Stormont. |
| In his statement marking the 15th anniversary, Cameron said: "There is still a strong tendency in Northern Ireland to view politics as a zero-sum game, in which there are only winners and losers. | In his statement marking the 15th anniversary, Cameron said: "There is still a strong tendency in Northern Ireland to view politics as a zero-sum game, in which there are only winners and losers. |
| "That is not the case with the Belfast agreement. I firmly believe that all parts of the community were winners on 10 April 1998." | "That is not the case with the Belfast agreement. I firmly believe that all parts of the community were winners on 10 April 1998." |
| The ingrained sectarian divisions in places such as Belfast were on display again on Tuesday night as hardline republicans ignored pleas from Martin McGuinness for an end to street parties celebrating Margaret Thatcher's death. | The ingrained sectarian divisions in places such as Belfast were on display again on Tuesday night as hardline republicans ignored pleas from Martin McGuinness for an end to street parties celebrating Margaret Thatcher's death. |
| A group of around 100 republicans marched from a memorial to the IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands in the Twinbrook estate on the edge of west Belfast down to the Falls Road where they marked Thatcher's death with music, honking car horns and graffiti daubed on walls. | A group of around 100 republicans marched from a memorial to the IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands in the Twinbrook estate on the edge of west Belfast down to the Falls Road where they marked Thatcher's death with music, honking car horns and graffiti daubed on walls. |
| Unionist politicians condemned a second night of celebrations in republican areas. | Unionist politicians condemned a second night of celebrations in republican areas. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox every weekday. |