Forums > Social Discussion > Belfast

Posted: 13th Sep 2005
i've not heard anything at all... hmm maybe i should watch the news more.
i'll keep my eyes and ears pealed and if i hear/see any thing i'll post it.
jo xxx

ummm.... i'll edit this when i think of something witty to say

Posted: 13th Sep 2005
i think there were riots when an orange order march was diverted...



look here here



i heard that it had been compared to the bad days...



and it was going so well...

back

Posted: 13th Sep 2005
im half a wolrd away in NZ, seen alot of stuff on th enews, but just what you have said. havnt heard back from any of my irish mates yet.

It took a while, but once their numbers dropped from 50 down to 8, the other dwarves started to suspect Hungry.

Posted: 14th Sep 2005




Thanks for asking... good to see people taking an interest



This won't be a hugely long post as I can't stay online for long, but it's been pretty bad here since about Friday.



An Orange Order (a group which at it's conception was intended to celebrate the victories of the Battle of the Boyne, but over time has been completely taken over by loyalist/Protestant thugs) parade was rerouted away from a republican area.



The loyalists decided to bring protests onto the streets of Belfast, in support of their Orange order 'brethern'.



There are a few areas in east and north Belfast where loyalist and republican estates are beside each other... during the Troubles riots broke out fairly regularly - if not riots, then pipe and petrol bombs where thrown, people attacked, windows broken, etc.



In addition, the police and British army often go into the areas with heavy-handed responses (some people would say they are justified). And so they are hated by both sides.



However, the riots haven't happened for a long time, and the normal people and businesses of Belfast had thought we were past all that.



On Friday (I think!) the Orange Order called on 'Protestant' people to support their local order. There has been rioting on the streets every night since... and the Order deny all responsibility.



A bus was burned out in the town I live in (Bangor), while parts of Belfast were ripped apart.



I have been staying in east Belfast over the past number of nights and seen the destruction.



The low-flying army helicopters are quite intimidating as they buzz over the houses all night. Parts of the city were closed down after 4pm on Monday afternoon. The mobile networks were jammed. On Tuesday morning, the wreckage of the night before was shocking.



They had broken into a small builders yard, stolen a mini-bulldozer and knocked down every lamppost and sign along one of the streets. There was broken glass and bricks everywhere. The road was torn up in parts. They had ripped a cash machine out of the wall and burnt out a local shop. 118 cars were hijacked and burned out around the city.



Roads and walls bear the scorch marks of the fires.



It's perfectly possible to just stay out of the areas affected. I have not seen any trouble (apart from the occasional balaclaved-hoodlum standing on the street corner)... but it's effect is in shutting down the city. Keeping people inside. Keeping people scared. Helicopters are flying overhead constantly and the sirens of emergency vehicles are constant. Some businesses have been ruined and everyone finds it difficult/impossible to get on with everyday life.





This is an image from one of the previous riots... but gives you a good idea:




Non-Https Image Link








Good news article here







They're all bloody idiots.

Getting to the other side

Posted: 14th Sep 2005
for firepoise and several more

lets jst hope the whole mess dies down soon

you just have to wonder what sort of deranged moron thinks that that sort of thing helps anyone or that its what people want




hope your ok

back

Posted: 14th Sep 2005
Thanks

It has been a stressful week for lots of different reasons

And yep, hopefully things will be calm again soon

x

Getting to the other side

Posted: 14th Sep 2005
Thanks for the update.... I've just been worried cause I hadn't seen a particuarly solid newsfeed, just that there were fires and riots and what. Seems to be about the case... :/


hopefully things will calm down again, sounds a mess :/

let us know whats happening!

Keep your dream alive
Dreamin is still how the strong survive

Shalom VeAhavah

New Hampshire has a point....

Posted: 16th Sep 2005
yip firepoise is right about the low flyin helicopters....couldnt sleep Grrrrr the riots seem to be starting up again (they must be bored) my mates just been sent home from work

There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers...

Posted: 16th Sep 2005
But what the hell can we do about it?

It's not as if we can go into these places and say 'scuse me, but you're f*cking things up for the rest of us'.

Selfish b*stards.

Getting to the other side

Posted: 16th Sep 2005
sorry to hear about this , lots of love and hugs to you. I dotn know what can be done, be politically active when and where you feel it will be effective, communicate and share patience, compassion and love where-ever and whenever you can, even in the face of adversity and absurdity. Thats about all I know. Sad to say , it does not always seem to work in changing the grand scheme, but it does make me feel better most of the time.

How did Gandhi manage it? Hmmn. maybe I will get a book or two about him and try to find out...
love and peace
~A

"God *was* my co-pilot, but then we crashed, and I had to eat him..."

Posted: 16th Sep 2005
personally its at times like these i think we should give up and restart with bacteria.....

the joy of knowing with out a doubt that your right....

how can people be so closed minded in this day and age?

back

Posted: 20th Sep 2005
Thankyou Firepoise, me and my friends were trying for ages to work out what the fighting was about.

According to Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle of Quantum Dynamics, we may already be making love right now...

Posted: 20th Sep 2005
I'm glad if it makes things any clearer... but my post is a really simplified outline of a very complicated problem.

That's why you don't get to hear the whole story in the media (same as most stories).

Anyways, thanks for your interest

Getting to the other side