Police removal of Irish Flags – “Racist” say Antrim community workers

national | crime and justice | news report Friday August 12, 2005 17:47 by Gerome

Antrim Town has a permanent plethora of unionist, Loyalist flags and emblems. Some of these flags were temporarily removed from the town centre during the special olympics. Other graffitti promotes white supremacy groups ie, KKK, combat 18 and BNP.

Community workers in Antrim Town are describing a PSNI operation to remove Irish National flags at Greystone Road and Rathenraw as “racist”

A spokesman for the Rathenraw Community Group, Paddy Murray asked, “Where exactly does this single focused PSNI approach towards Irish emblems, promote equality of opportunity or promote good relations in a town covered from top to bottom with Loyalist paramilitary and unionist emblems, year in and year out.”

A woman living in the “Folly” estate who witnessed the police action said, “I am surprised the Irish flags managed to stay up longer than a day. In Antrim as far as the Police are concerned the old Flags and Emblems Act * still applies. ”

Mr Murray said, “The promotion of good relations in Antrim in reality translates as all outward visibility of Irishness must be hidden and denied. This mode of living resembles “Jim Crow Law” and unfortunately the political leaders have allowed “Jim Crow’s Law” to become the norm for Catholics.

On all matters of inequality said Murray, the local political leaders are always inclined to take the easy way out by smearing and condemning anyone honest enough to highlight the issue, rather than, fulfill their moral and legal duty to all citizens.” Ends


Notes:

Flags and Emblems (Display) Act (Northern Ireland), 1954.

Jim Crow's Law - America's deep south states - KKK lynchings burnings etc,,,