Arlene Foster

Arlene is in the money thanks to the Maybot and has lots of money for bowler hats, orange sashes and such like. Wasn’t she involved in that scandal concerning fuel? Why wasn’t she sacked for that?

Haven’t heard ‘Maybot’ for some time !

It's disgusting but the sort of thing we must expect I suppose when a narrow minded, racist, reactionary leads a party with 19 century beliefs that has the British government totally under its thumb. It doesn't bode well for the future of N Ireland.

And your point is ab?

Regarding what Maryeliza?

Last year, the main OO Scottish Match took place in our local town (Alloa). Rumour had it that they picked Alloa because the SNP controlled Council, with a leader of the Council and Provost, who happened to be Catholics, would be forced to allow the March under the regulations and foot the bill for all the extra policing, road closures and subsequent cleaning up. The town centre was closed for the day and, fearing aggro, all the local pubs shut too, a whole days takings lost. My DD and family had to leave their home in the early hours as their street was closed off from 6am.

In common with Cowdenbeith, we are in the East of Scotland and unaccustomed to these Walks. As far as I am aware there are no LOO branches in the vicinity, and people of all faiths and none live peaceably together. The Orange Walk probably strengthened this feeling of solidarity in the community as EVERYONE was united in their opposition to it.

The cost to Police Scotland of policing the marching season is already sky high.

Given that Arlene is a high profile politician, security at this walk is going to need to be even higher than usual and therefore even more expensive.

I’m not fantastically impressed that (policing being a devolved issue), the Scottish financial settlement is picking up the bill for this. I very rarely squeal “waste of public funds” but we have better uses for this money than this.

I mean, this as I understand it is not an official visit being undertaken in the course of her official duties.

She could pay for it out of the bribe money ?. So deliberately provocative.

The thing is, Mary, it’s not just a wind up. If she was just at the wind up, eyes would be rolled, but this is more serious.

There is a demonstrable correlation in Scottish police statistics between the marches and antisocial behaviour incidents, breaches of the peace, and violence. They publish on this regularly as the police are unimpressed to have all leave cancelled on the weekends of the major marches amd to arrest even more muppets than usual.

This country sadly has its own parcel of idiots prepared to stab other people over perceived religious conflicts (none of these idiots ever bother to darken the door of any place of worship, obviously).

AF is from Northern Ireland. She knows better than anyone that her presence has the possibility to inflame stupid folk at the walk to the extent that someone could quite readily lose their life.

This is frankly not responsible behaviour for a senior politician.

muffin sorry if I sounded as though I was making light of this. I’m utterly horrified but not surprised. It says much for how untouchable the HFed one feels that she believes she can do this with impunity and it shows the utter moral bankruptcy of TM and her bunch of followers that they are letting it happen without a squeak. When TM bought power by bribing this bunch of misogynistic homophibuc religious bigots, it was clear she had no moral compass at all.

Not at all, Mary, I just feel that the potential for trouble here is perhaps not fully understood by folks reading who are not from the areas particularly blighted by this nonsense

I fully accept the legal right to parade etc. It’s just not a particularly happy sight in your home city/town, and that feeling crosses all religious differences amongst folk I know.

I also feel for the folk of Cowdenbeath which is generally a fairly quiet wee place, who could no doubt see this far enough. It’s a huge disruption to a town as Granny pointed out above.

Horrified to read that paddy.
On the East coast it simply isn't an issue but Cowdenbeath is a bit too close for comfort!

She should be curbing the OO

But she obviously doesn't agree with that should which is why she isn't doing what some think she should be doung about the OO.

Whether we like her position on OO or not we have to accept that she's entitled to her opinion and to act on it.

I don't know anything about the OO in Scotland but if Arlene Foster is drumming up support for a march I presume there must already exist some support. I've certainly got the impression there is religious rivalry in some parts.

I see muffin has confirmed the view that there is religious rivalry in Scotland already: We have enough trouble with sectarianism in the west of Scotland as is

She’s the bloody leader of the DUP - of course she has to think about so clearly expressing her opinions and acting on them - it’s not a village fete she’s going to

of course she agrees with it Baggs it fits her agenda to keep the problems between the "religions" going,she doesn't want NI to be a place where everyone can live side by side ..like we do in Scotland APART from the marching season when these vile people descend on us with their drunken swaggering followers who cause trouble and intimidate the population.The west of Scotland has long had a problem with the religious divide..it has vastly improved over the past couple of decades ..coincidentaly the same period teh OO has lost a lot of its supporters.As MCEM says the East coast has alwys been relatively free of the issues caused by OO fans.....seems they're being targetted now in the Unionist agenda as it started during the Independence referendum.The OO proudly marched under banners proclaiming to be allies of the KKK....just what we dont need or want in Scotland where racial crimes are much rarer than in the rest of the UK

What's to stop people who don't want OO marches in Scotland demonstrating peacefully against them? And educating their children against religious bigotry?

What have racial crimes got to do with it?

Can confirm that a lot of folk also come over from NI for the ‘big’ walk in Scotland. There are still a lot of family ties across the water here and it’s something that families will travel for. So it will not only be the ‘locals’ but a lot of folk travelling to Cowdenbeath.

I have a large and interestingly mixed family, some of whom go on the walk and go over to Belfast for the big walk. I love these folk but honestly their daftness is quite something. To quote my dear uncle “ Hen, ah jist hate all Catholics. No youse! Youse are ma family! I jist hate the ones I don’t know!”

He was holding my freshly-baptised infant at the time in the chapel carpark...

I went to a non-denom primary and then a Catholic secondary. I feel very comfortable saying that sectarianism is daftness on both sides...

My brother jokes that thanks to my parents’ school choices, at least we can join in with the full range of “folk songs”...

(The folk songs are bloody awful, no two ways about it.)

A few years ago I was speaking to a fellow Scot who had just arrived here, when he heard I was from Edinburgh the next question was "did I support Hearts or Hibs?". I truthfully replied that I was a Rugby supporter, that question still haunts me a little, what did it matter what my religion was.
For info Hearts was traditionally a Protestant team, and Hibs or Hibernian Catholic.
That Woman should at least pay for the extra policing, I dread to think what might happen if she decides to speak.

Baggs these marches are recognised and supervised by the police. They are very unlikely to allow a counter-march, and if they do it will be forced to stay in areas as far away from the OO ones as can be managed. It is done with all demonstrations in all cities.

She could pay for extra security out of the bung she got from Westminster.

Good post, muffin. In the west it's Rangers and Celtic (or was; did I hear that Rangers had gone bust?). Anyway, as you say, it's tribal warfare essentially. They should all, on both sides, be ashamed of themselves.

Yes, I know, trish. I think ignoring is the best response to stupid marches. Not by police, obviously, but by people who don't want them to happen. If OO marches never 'stirred up' the "other side", I think they'd die out.

Baggs I hope GN lets me post youtube links.

These are videos of a few recent walks in Glasgow through the city centre. This will probably explain why counter protesting would frankly amount to a riot.

Most folk just stay home indoors the day of the walk tbh.

youtu.be/J2aFgN_t6qE

youtu.be/7K2EzG34ilo

youtu.be/7Go4Pdzh4IE

youtu.be/TvKlODzg7pA

Youtube has plenty more if you are interested