OVER 600 CONVERGE ON BANBRIDGE COUNCIL FOR PROTEST ON EMBLEMS
TO view a video of last night's protest click the green play button.
AT least 600 people converged on Banbridge last night (Monday) to demonstrate their concern at the removal of symbols of Britishness from public display in the council building.
The move was in protest against a Sinn Fein-proposed equality impact assessment which has seen numerous plaques presented by the police and Army regiments removed from public view.
A delegation from the County Down Grand Orange Lodge last night handed in a letter of protest to council officials on behalf of some 50 lodges in what was suggested was the largest local government protest since 1973.
Inside the building, a council meeting took place but the matter was not on the agenda.
The move comes a fortnight after police were called to a council meeting in Limavady where Sinn Fein is also trying to remove all symbols of Britishness from council property.
Protestor Bob Morrow from Banbridge Royal British Legion last night lamented the fact that his group had not been asked its view about the removal of a plaque it had presented to the council."The Royal British Legion has five branches in this district and yet out of 170 organisations formally consulted we were not one of them," he said.
"Why should emblems we gave which represent people who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country be removed from the walls of our council?"
Grand Secretary of the Orange Order Drew Nelson addressed the crowd as they waved Union Flags and banners. He said he had already accompanied a pan-unionist delegation to the Equality Commission and he told the crowd that the commission had done extensive surveys on "public hostility" to the Union Flag, and included the results in its advice guides.
"But when I asked them had they commissioned any research on public hostility to the political use of the Irish language, of course they hadn't," he said.
"Strangely enough, the only council I can see mentioned on its website is Newry and Mourne District Council. But I referred them to Saturday's edition of the News Letter which reported that Newry and Mourne has a council play park formally named after a convicted IRA terrorist.
"But of course they didn't want to know; there is a clear agenda to support Irish nationalism."
The crowd was urged to take part in the consultation and dispersed peacefully after singing the National Anthem.
Mr Nelson, a solicitor, said Banbridge District Council may have left itself open to a legal challenge.
"The consultation document was sent out to 170 local organisations but not one of the 50 local Orange Lodges were asked, despite being very prominent groups in the local community," he said.
"And neither was the Royal British Legion. We think the council has made a mistake in moving these items before the end of the consultation.
"This action undermines confidence in symbols of Britishness in the district and may prejudice the consultation by setting a precedent before it has even closed."
Banbridge District Council was asked why the plaques and an RAF-themed painting had been removed from public view when the consultation does not end until February 29, but a spokeswoman said she could not comment until the consultation ended.
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Weather for Banbridge
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 6 C to 7 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 4 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South
