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Home Page > News > Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams says “vast majority” of the Belfast protests are illegal

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams says “vast majority” of the Belfast protests are illegal

Calls for all parties to come together to stop the violence

KERRY O'SHEA,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Monday, January 14, 2013, 8:00 AM

Updated Monday, January 14, 2013, 9:40 AM

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Gerry Adams calls for all political parties to come together to stop the violence in Belfast over union flag

Photo by Irish Independent

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has said that most of the protests occurring in Belfast regarding the recent change in legislation about the flying of the Union Jack are illegal.

TheJournal.ie reports that Adams shared his sentiments in a blog post over the weekend. In it, he asserted that some criminal enterprises are ‘hijacking’ the protests for their own advancement, and called for an all party response to help halt the violence of recent days.

“There is an expectation across the community that those who are organising these protests will be subjected to due process and that the protests will be policed in a fair way,” Adams wrote in his ‘Leargas’ blog on the Belfast Media group website.

The violence in Belfast has been escalating ever since new legislation was put into place in December that limited the flying of the British Union Jack flag over Belfast City Hall from year round to just 17 days a year.

The protests are costing the Northern Irish government millions of Euro, nevermind the injuries that civilians and police officers alike are sustaining.

“The vast majority of the protests taking place around the flag issue are illegal. Most are being organised by the BNP, the UVF and criminal elements, some of whom are well known drug pushers. They are seeking to exploit this situation for their own ends.”

Adams went on to call for party unison to stop the violence. “This will be a huge challenge,” wrote Adams. “Republicans do not underestimate the problems involved and in particular the difficulties facing unionism. but there can be no going back. The tiny minorities who want to cling to the past must be rejected.”

23 Comments

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FallsRNat | Jan 20, 2013, 02:27 PM EST

i'm shocked at gerry's attitude, surely as a UI he believes in justice & equality for all, he should be marching with his protestant brothers in support of their right to have their right of allegience shown. He carried the tricolour for years, doesn't he know what that flag stands for.

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seanomelb | Jan 16, 2013, 05:37 PM EST

Creeepy crawly Anglo is back.

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Towngate | Jan 16, 2013, 06:02 AM EST

Aahhh, IrelandNorth @03.46, You know perfectly well what I mean. My cunning linguist muse was having a lazy lie-in! I prefer the term 'North-east Ulster' to describe the remnant of the Ancient Province whose inhabitants freely chooses to remain connected to the United Kingdoms.

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anglo-norman | Jan 15, 2013, 07:25 PM EST

seanomelb- Get back under the bed son...

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seanomelb | Jan 15, 2013, 05:11 PM EST

Ah! the little orange bigots below are working overtime on their keyboards. BTW one should remember clowngate accused Patrick Pearse of been fascist racist on this site some time ago. It's not hard to dig into his anti Irish brain and find a growth called meanspiritness, maybe it can be cured by a drip feed of honour and integrity.

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seamus60 | Jan 15, 2013, 01:32 PM EST

BrianinKent. Its called democrecy the world over.

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seamus60 | Jan 15, 2013, 01:20 PM EST

Don`t forget folks this is the Gerry who had his blue bib brigade intimidate Nationalists who were taking part in peacefull sit down demo`s against the OO marching through their area.

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RedBranch | Jan 15, 2013, 11:58 AM EST

Come'on Deputy Adams, come on down to the Lower Newtownards Rd. and speak some of that sense that made you an international statesman to your fellow Irishmen behind the barricades. I just know they'd be dying to see you...

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6countybrit | Jan 15, 2013, 10:07 AM EST

The vast majority of his actions throughout his life were illegal as well. Don,t hear him ranting on about that though. Well said stevenstar. Seems like these yanks don,t have a clue.

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BrianinKent | Jan 15, 2013, 09:04 AM EST

What everyone is forgetting is that Sinn Fein are,'nt in the business of securing a succesful and prosperous N. Ireland but the destruction of the State. Likewise, Dublin do not see their Northern Brothers as their kith and kin but a competitor, The more disruption that can be seen going on the more they can see inward investment being diverted south. Sinn Fein and Dublin knew exactly what the response to the banning of the Union flag would be...A red rag to a bull!!!

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IrelandNorth | Jan 15, 2013, 03:46 AM EST

Towngate! Cunning metaphor. But is that ALL of Ulster (ie the whole 9 yards?) Or just part of Ulster (ie the short 6 inches)? STEVENSTAR! We know you're middle-class planter stock masquerading as indigenous. But gratifying to know you're an equal opportunities discriminator - against you're own working class! PhlutiePhan! You're for the birds! A tad out of you're depth. But keep snorting the prozac. It's bound to kick in sometime. NB This lawlessness would never be tolerated up here in Dublin, the national capitol by the national police Án Gárda Síochána na h'Éireann (ÁGSÉ), like it seems to be down in Belfast, the Ulster provincial capitol by the provincial police/NIPD (Northern Ireland Police Department (Án Roinn Poílíní na Túarscírt Éireann). Gárda Public Order Units (POUs) would have NIP'd it in the bud by cracking their knuckleheaded numbskulls like pistacchio nuts or hard-boiled eggs. Or indeed tolerated anywhere else in the British and/or Irish Isles for that matter. And definately not on the mainland, where German cops would squash their heads like over ripe water melons. As an Irish Army reservist, I'm only itching for my mobilisation orders to go down from teh Curragh Camp to Belfast to restore order.

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IrelandNorth | Jan 15, 2013, 03:44 AM EST

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curtisjohnson | Jan 14, 2013, 10:46 PM EST

@towntroll – “A call for an end to violence from the man with the Reddest Hands in Ulster is a bit BLOODY rich!” How about some evidence that Adams killed anyone - in sharp contrast to all of the terror state “soldiers” who killed unarmed non-combatants and not only escaped any adverse consequences but were promoted?

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seanomelb | Jan 14, 2013, 10:30 PM EST

Hey Phlutie!! I'm an Irish republican atheist. what world order does your narrow mind invisage. You sound like a failed bigoted American

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cillowen | Jan 14, 2013, 10:15 PM EST

stay away from ukers sliver its rotten to the core - apartheid fervor is still in their marrow - the worship of momma england is too deep. The island will stay as dysfunctional as can be for eons, fugget gathering among crazies.

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