Nazi and Confederate flags seen near loyalist bonfire in Northern Ireland
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Version 0 of 1. Nazi swastika flags, alongside symbols of the pro-slavery American Confederacy, have been seen flying close to an Ulster loyalist bonfire in Northern Ireland. The display of the Nazi party flags in Carrickfergus comes less than one week after a Confederate flag was put up outside the home of a young black football player in loyalist east Belfast. The liberal Alliance party, Democratic Unionist party and Ulster Unionists condemned the display of the fascist and racist flags on the Glenfield estate. But a Progressive Unionist party councillor in the area confirmed on Wednesday morning that the flags were being taken down. They were put up around the bonfire area less than a week before it is due to be lit to commemorate the victory of Prince William of Orange at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 – the most sacred date in the Ulster loyalist calendar. Carrickfergus is a historically important town for Orangemen and Ulster loyalists in general because it is the port where Prince William and his forces landed in Ireland on their way to defeating the Catholic armies of King James II. Gareth Cole, the PUP councillor in the East Antrim town, said: “When I met the community they were all outraged, every single one, and they were out on the street, disgusted at this. “These flags do not represent them at all and it was they who took them down swiftly,” he said. The Democratic Unionist MP for East Antrim, Sammy Wilson, said such flags had “absolutely nothing in common with unionism or with loyalism”. The MP added: “People from Northern Ireland fought bravely in our armed forces to defeat the Nazis and these flags should have no part in our society,” he said. “I do not believe that the vast majority of people who will participate in celebrations over the coming weekend want to see such flags flying and I welcome that they now appear to have been removed.” Last week a football coach took down a Confederate flag from a lamppost outside the home of a black footballer in Dee Street, east Belfast. Ryan Ward of junior side East Belfast FC said 99.9% of the people in the area were opposed to the flying of such symbols. He said: “It was there for a few days and I hadn’t really noticed it, but I heard then what it was and realised it was outside the wee fella’s house so ones from the club put two and two together and there wasn’t any hesitation from us. We went straight down and got it down, simple as that.” For several years Confederate flags have been erected in and around the Dee Street area of inner-city east Belfast during the marching season, alongside the more traditional symbols of Ulster loyalism such as the union and Northern Ireland flags. |