Protests over Union Jack in Belfast play out like a movie with too many sequels - VIDEO

What is being "British" mean, as it seems to be a nebulous description that lacks definition? I remember when Gordon Brown, as British Labour PM was enthusiastic about instituting an annual celebration back in in favor of a "British" national day, but it got demoted due to the fact that no working criteria could be drawn up to define it. People have no such difficulties what it is to be Irish,Scottish or Welsh. The English are going through somewhat of a national identity crisis due to the growing strength of nationalism in Scotland and in the northern part of Ireland which they administer. The UK will more than likely implode under it's own internal contradictions.

IRELANDNORTH.. Every time i comment on here you seem to remark and say im a liar. I do live in Co. Cork mate and i do live in Southern Ireland. Who the hell do you think you are ? They are entitled to Protest.. and believe me we in the south are not so full of Hatred and we dont all support the IRA or we are not nationaists !! whats your problem mate ?

@6countybrit; yes indeed you have exactly the same passport as other people in the UK. Of course all the people living in the Uk have EXACTLY THE SAME PASSPORT as the citizens of the Irish Republic; and the same as people from France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, and all other EU states. The Document is called a "European Standard Communities Model" Passport, and is common to all EU states. Just think, you carry exactly the same passport as those that are issued from the Passport Office in Dublin!!!! who'd have thought. Funny too that there was a big increase in demand for Passports from Dublin from other "six county brits" like yourself, who thought they could be used to get free University places in Scotland, but it didnt work out for them. Shame they didnt past the test in which they had to say the words "For God and Ulster" in the Irish Language. So a lack of education is costing these same "six county brits" thousands of pounds in University fees......... Pity that!!

6 county brit: Actually you are not equal, you get more. The poor British taxpayer, you know the ones who work for a living have to pay your dole check every week. You bring nothing to the UK, but biy do you take!!

bobby - it's only when you've had to fight toothand nail to be British, as we in Northern Ireland have done for thirty years, that one can appreciate what a blessing it is to be British. To have that sacrifice belittled by a cockney idiot who has the luxury of taking his britishness for granted, is an insult. Still, you'll find out a little bit of what it's like when you realise that more than 50% of London is non-English sooner than you think. Good luck with that!

Stevenstar. Indeed they are entitled to protest. A sen member of the RUC/PSNI said they had a right to be angry as well. Why would he have said that ?

6Countybrit. Yet you`se want to appear more british than the brits.

@bobby plastic Brits, is that why you,re on Irish Central, does that make you a plastic paddy. The British passport that I hold makes me equally British than any other member of the UK

Looks like the Alliance party are the Patsy in the whole issue. Then again as IrelandNorth says they are the party not entrenched on either side of the sectarian fence. Should they ever have their way politicians would have to do proper political work for the advantage of ALL the people. SF are pushing this as some great achievement whilst the DUP are offering the old Paisley nodd and wink to loyalists with the Alliance taking all the flak.

There's a qualitative difference between protesting and rioting, except to an Ulster/Northern Irelander pretending to live in Munster/southern Ireland. The Act of Union, 1800/'01 was a constitutional sleight-of-hand. If one is a unionist based on that flawed blueprint, does that not make them constitutional sleight-of-handers? Strange as it may seem, this not so much a struggle between Irish nationalism/republicanism/Roman Catholicism and British nationalism/unionism/loyalism/Protestantism. It's a struggle between imperial unionism and real democratic unionism. Just look at how the middle-class constitutional unionists who are handsomely payed by British (ie mainly English) taxpayers to do the Full Stormonty have exercised their Carsonian imperative of using their working-class extra-constitutional loyalists footsoldiers to do their dirty work for them. Carlisle Circus comes to May Street - indeed! The Alliance Party is a centrist/middle-of-the-road though union-leaning political party determined to reach out to their opposition. Just look what's happened to their well intentioned jesture.

Much a do about nothing. Im an Irishman living in Co Cork these people are entitled to protest...

It is crazy, Young children shouting abuse about their flag, ( Scary how young minds are influenced), All flags should be banned.

Meanwhile, same old story here in the US where our corrupt corporate newsmedia totally ignores pro-British loyalist violence in northern Ireland. You can bet if Sinn Fein Republicans tried to storm Belfast City hall, vandalized property and attacked a Protestant church and Protestant homes in Belfast, it would be widely reported and denounced here in the USA.

On this day 90 years ago, in accordance with the Anglo-Irish Treaty, the Irish Free State came into existence. Under the form of words agreed upon, the Irish Free State was regarded as including the entire island of Ireland. However, Northern Ireland was given the right to opt out under Section 12 of the Irish Free State (Agreement) Act 1922. On 7 December 1922 the Parliament of Northern Ireland approved an address to the British King, George V, requesting that its territory not be included in the Irish Free State. The following were the words of Sir James Craig, the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland: “MOST GRACIOUS SOVEREIGN, We, your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Commons of Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled, having learnt of the passing of the Irish Free State Constitution Act, 1922, being the Act of Parliament for the ratification of the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty between Great Britain and Ireland, do, by this humble Address, pray your Majesty that the powers of the Parliament and Government of the Irish Free State shall NO LONGER EXTEND to Northern Ireland.”

What a Bunch of Muppets. Plastic Brits we call them in London. They are all Irish to us Ireland. East or West.