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In many of the UK’s major cities on Wednesday, planned mass anti-migrant riots failed to materialise as thousands of counter-protesters took to the streets. But in Belfast, the unrest continued for a fifth night. Among the most striking images to emerge from the disorder over the past week have been pictures of the Irish tricolour being flown alongside the Union Flag in a society still plagued by sectarian tension. Alongside the flags, a large sign reading “Coolock says no” was visible at a far-right rally outside Belfast City Hall at the weekend. The phrase is in reference to the row over a site in Dublin being renovated to house asylum seekers. Members of the far-right from Ireland were reportedly seen drinking alongside the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), a paramilitary group, at a loyalist bar after attending Saturday’s rally.
The alliance between the far-right in Ireland and extreme loyalists in North Ireland isn’t new – they have a long-standing relationship, according to the BBC’s Mark Simpson. Irish prime minister Simon Harris condemned those who “hijacked” the Irish flag to march alongside “paramilitary actors” in Belfast, and urged them to “leave our flag alone”. One such paramilitary actor pictured at Saturday’s protest was Glen Kane, a convicted sectarian killer.
Speaking on Thursday, justice minister Naomi Long promised that those responsible for the violence will feel the full force of the law. Her comments came as the Assembly was recalled from summer recess to discuss disorder on Belfast’s streets. Ministers issued a statement saying they “stand united in our call for an end to the violence” and an Alliance party motion condemning all forms of racism was passed.
The under-funded Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI) has asked for 120 officers from Police Scotland to be brought in to help tackle the unrest.
