Friday, March 10, 2006
DUP councillors blame Sinn Féin for riots
The issue of the Dublin riots feels as if it's been done to death at this stage but I just had to comment on this story from Ballymena Today regarding a heated political debate in Ballymena Council chamber on Monday night which saw DUP councillors blame Sinn Féin for the riots, amongst other things.I have analysed certain parts of the article below:
DUP Councillors, William Wilkinson and Robin Stirling led the stinging criticism of the Irish state and what they claimed "its latent sympathy for Republicanism."
Author of the Council motion, Cllr. William Wilkinson, a member of the group FAIR said the journey to Dublin had from the outset been difficult: "For many the road to Dublin physically led past the site of their loves murder."
The young DUP man likened the subsequent violence to the early Nazis.
"Just like Hitler's Brown shirts, they use street violence with the same ease as political posturing, they spread their ideology of hate with ease amongst the baser elements of society and they stand poised to seize increasing political power."
"They had murder in mind as they organised their violence. This was naked sectarian hatred focused by an absolute need to silence the victims."
Cllr. Wilkinson then labelled his Sinn Fein council colleague Monica Digney as an 'apologist for fascism'.
He said: "In Sinn Fein and in its member here in this Council, we have the apologists for this fascism, across the globe we defeat and punish those who hold such anti-democratic views, however, here we are asked to accept them in government."
I think I'll interject here for any of my foreign readers who remember the anger that unionists showed towards President Mary McAleese and Father Alec Reid for comparing unionist treatment of nationalists to the Nazis. Naturally, you're probably a bit confused then to hear a unionist refer to Dublin thugs as Nazis. You need to understand that here in Ireland, it's deemed perfectly acceptable to have one rule for unionists and one rule for the rest.
Next to take the floor, Cllr Stirling seconded the motion, stating that the protest and violence was "a manifestation of the sectarianism which lies at the heart of Republicanism."
Again I'll interject for the benefit of any confused readers who may be thinking, 'surely republicanism is the antithesis of sectarianism'? You need to appreciate that unionists have difficulty coming to terms with, well, terms, and that Mr Stirling is merely the product of warped thinking.
Cllr. Stirling went on to slam the Pope for nurturing what he called 'vile anti-Protestantism'.
"What mechanism of indoctrination is responsible for this vile anti-Protestantism? The utterances of bigoted Roman catholic clerics comes to mind.
"The present Pope, the former Cardinal Ratzinger, claimed the Reformed Churches had no spiritual validity."
OK. Um...I was going to interject on this too but I can't for the life of me figure out why on earth the Pope was brought into this. Can anyone perhaps help me out on this one? Baffling comments.
DUP man, Ald. Roy Gillespie said the riots were an indication of what was to come.
"This is a very serious motion. Be warned. This is what lies ahead for those who are for a United Ireland."
I'm afraid Mr Gillespie is absolutely right. This was an example of what is in store for unionists in a United Ireland. Because you see in a United Ireland, if anyone sought to harm unionists in any way, the Irish state would do its utmost, as the Gardaí did that day, to protect them as citizens of the state. No political policing whatsoever would blight the state!
Putting forward a doomed amendment, the SDLP's Declan O'Loan said the allegation that Sinn Fein was involved was 'unfounded'. Party colleague, PJ McAvoy seconded the amendment. The DUP countered with Cllr. Mills stating that the riots had "all hall marks of Sinn Fein/IRA" as they were he said "adept at firebombs and spontaneous response".
Um, what? So are loyalists. Were they involved in the riots then? The logic here from the DUP is crazy. Ah who am I kidding? There is no logic here!
With the SDLP amendment roundly thrown out, the original DUP motion was passed with the added support of the Ulster Unionist members and the one independent member. 19-3 in favour. The motion read:
"Ballymena Borough Council expresses outrage and profound hurt that the Republican Movement prevented the Victim's Groups from exercising their democratic and legally approved right to parade on behalf of the victims of terrorism."
Republican movement? How can any sane person say that those involved in the riots constituted the Republican Movement? In fact, the Irish Independent earlier in the week reported:
"Gardai now believe that responsibility for the rioting lies with a group of violent young 'republicans' who split from Republican Sinn Fein last year.
"The break-away group has been attracting dozens of teenagers, in Dublin and the North, where they congregate under the guise of Celtic soccer supporters."
The DUP need to get real. They are acting like children. Petty, immature and nasty children.
And what the hell was with those comments on the Pope?
Bigotry runs deep within the party. If only unionists acknowledged this!
# posted by United Irelander @ 2:44 AM 
© 2008 United Irelander.
