The Huddle 🍀🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🤝🇵🇸

It's fascinating to see all of the hot takes from people who haven't the first clue about the North; whether they're from the South, Britain or elsewhere. From the sort of people who'd casually use the term 'Nordie scum' or think they're much more open-minded, cultured and tolerant. Easy to do so from a distance when they don't live the reality of sectarian politics every day. Something that literally filters into rows about the use of dual-language signage; to decisions about which children, which schools, which groups, which communities should and should not benefit from funding here. Top of the list of things to be considered is the dark and murderous past linked to the parade, including the killing of children. Not something that should be brushed aside when it is clearly still raw and a source of trauma for many residents, including families who were directly impacted. According to the blow-in experts on the intricacies of NI politics, it's so simple and straightforward that: 1. The march was rejected by the Parades Commission for almost 30 years. The Parades Commission made a decision a couple of days before this march was due to take place with little time for it to be scrutinised. 2. A non-contentious route was/has been available to the Orange Order for years which they don't/won't accept. 3. The PSNI assessment — finding they had 'no information' to indicate the parade would result in violence or disorder — which informed the Parades Commission decision to approve the march is being questioned by many people. The same PSNI says it can't take paramilitary flags off lamp posts due to the perceived risks. And can't touch offensive/contentious bonfires containing racist/sectarian material because it poses too much of a risk. 4. One judge ruled that the march should not go ahead on Sunday. Another judge ruled differently, hours before it was due to take place. Orange Order parades that happen elsewhere (including my home city of Derry) routinely feature the playing of anti-Catholic tunes (The Billy Boys & No Pope of Rome) and the glorification of loyalist paramilitaries who prided themselves on murdering Catholics. Why is that normalised? The media plays a significant role in that. Why do people march alongside those people every year (including politicians) without publicly condemning and ostracising them? Indeed if the police attempt to act — as they half-heartedly did when a band wore Soldier F uniforms in support of a man who stood trial for murdering innocent civilians on Bloody Sunday (with the intention of antagonising the families of innocent victims who sought justice for decades) — some politicians were practically apoplectic with rage and cried 'two-tier policing'. What do UVF or UDA men who murdered Catholics during the Troubles have to with the celebration of historic events from 1690 (when Protestant King William defeated Catholic King James)? Would the same politicians backing this as a human rights issue say republicans have a right to march wherever they like? Would a republican march with anti-Protestant tunes and paramilitary trappings be accepted through the Shankill, Fountain estate or Ballymena? What about an anti-Jewish march, where they play anti-Jewish tunes, through a predominately Jewish neighbourhood in London? Would the Met Police get on board with that? Would officers say there was no risk of disorder? Why do I not see the same people who are so flippant about this march going ahead ever comment on those realities? Do you stand up for the feelings of all communities or just some when it suits your liberal-minded, holier-than-thou agenda? If you're going to patronise people at least demonstrate that you are consistent. We've some southern darlings lecturing communities, telling the untamed savages to catch a grip. Telling them they're at fault for jeopardising the prospect of a unity referendum. Your interest in the North is surface level at best. Pipe down.