Reactions to ‘mob rule and violence’ as protests over Union Jack in Northern Ireland continue – VIDEO

Sori. my last post should have read Impression and not expression.

Anglo it has very little to do with flags. Loyalists are intent on pushing the expression of their identity being chipped away. The laughable reality being their union is more secure now than it has ever been. The loyalist paramillitaries were too lazy when it came to presenting themselves in the same light as so called republicans in order to avail of the endless pit of money that is afforded to the peace process. Catch up is a hard game.

This flag thing vote was democratic and must be maintained!! Democracy must always be defended regardless of any decision!!

Citizen69. Don`t remember any Catholic protesters getting seriously injured of killed via water cannon.

A bit ironic that only a while back some tourist outfit in the South demanded that the Union Jack be flown more, so as to make English tourists feel at home. It didn't occur to these fools that if you want to feel "at home" you don't take a vacation, you stay "at home".

As a working class Unionist from Belfast I want to express how embarrassed i am by the behaviour of these thugs. Protest? yes, that's totally acceptable but the violence and intimidation is pathetic. I watched on the news as idiots & thugs who claim they want respect to be shown to their flag then proceeded to use flag poles with the union flag attached as weapons against the police! Streets littered with torn Union flags, where is the respect in that? It's mob mentality easily led by scare mongers and hardline Loyalists. If they have no respect for law & Order, the police or their flag then they are no different than militant dissident Republicans to me. I live among working class loyalists and i know the depth of feeling about this as they feel their identity is being strip one step at a time, piece by piece... but there is NO justification for this disgraceful behaviour. The Alliance party which is bearing the brunt of the attack are themselves a unionist party (with a small 'u'). They have the right to make democratic decisions free from mob intimidation. BTW water cannons were used in three separate locations despite the propaganda rantings of curtisjohnson whom i don't think has even ever set foot in Northern Ireland.

"Where are the arrests,the water cannons and the rubber bullets?Or are they just reserved for nationalists" The contrast between how the PSNI/RUC reacts to mostly peaceful indigenous protest compared to these blatant acts of thuggery and terrorism tells you all you need to know about the equal protection of law in the british terror state.

"Democracy must be maintained." It probably should be instituted first.

Anglo-norman. What democrecy ?

I'm glad you scuppered off to England to be with your BNP bullyboy friends. The celts will do very well without interfering messmakers like the English establishment. Tiochfaidh an la

Democracy must be maintained.

Its so nice to live in England away from the bigots on the island of ireland, rioting due to flags taken down, parks named in honour of a provie, i can't wait for Scotland to go independent, we can get rid of Ulster at the same time & EU membership, the Celts can do what they like & importantly I won't be paying for it, maybe you'll like to take up the slack seano.

Where are the arrests,the water cannons and the rubber bullets?Or are they just reserved for nationalists. There's an RUC badge behind every PSNI badge.

Its ironic that a decision by democratic vote was passed by two thirds majority to fly the Union Jack on specified days only instead of the 365 days a year since partition,that caused a riot by people who never stop shouting about democracy,they think the plantation of Ulster by the British gave them a veto over everything that don't suit them,even Irish history wasn't taught in Northern schools until recently,they have the brass neck to call the native Ulster born Irish,foreigners in their own land,no wonder they resort to violence at the drop of a hat,its in the DNA.

Actually I was quite surprised/happy that Sinn Fein compromised their original position (2 flags, new flag or no flag)by accepting the Alliance offer.