Northern Ireland is in more danger since Brexit

It seems to me that there is something utterly immoral about adult extremists inciting their own children or their neighbours'' children to commit acts of mindless violence, especially when they do it in the name of religion, whether they are Islamists or so-called Christians,.

Gosh Alioop your story brought back memories of many times having to vacate the workplace for bomb scares and being very nervous going back in again when given the all clear. We used to walk on the outside of pavements too in case a bomb shattered windows of shops. And we never left our curtains open at night. Scary times, we do not want to go back. I still have nightmares.

Alioop : You have said the young people are listening to adults
who are full of hatred for the "other side" That is what it is all about and that is where the division lies. Those young people
probably don't know why they are even rioting but many of them will get indoctrinated into the calls from the past so the sooner some strong measures are laid in place the better.
The IRA had a huge hold over operations over there and that was probably why the breaking of the Covid rules went unchallenged.
I have not been over to Belfast for years and at the moment am unsure whether to call my cousins over there to ask how they are. They were born there and lived through the troubles although in all the time the troubles went on my cousins never spoke of it and just carried on living as like you say most of the people just want peace.
I do hope that life in Belfast and surrounding areas can get back to normal after the great improvement the place had after the GFA was brought in surely people do not want to revert to the past.

I was 3 years old when the troubles started here, it was all I knew growing up. I actually found a bomb in a biscuit tin that had been planted in a shoe shop I managed while I was hoovering! Faulty wiring was all that saved us.
We all couldn't get over the change here after the GFA, such a great place to live, it's beautiful. These young people who are now destroying this place now don't probably know why they are even rioting. They are listening to adults who are so full of hatred for "the other side" they don't care that they are ruining it for the rest of us who just want to live our lives in peace. It's so sad to see your town on the news and what the rest of the world is thinking of us, it's embarrassing.
The fallout of the huge IRA funeral and Brexit have put us back years and honestly I don't know where this will end as our politicians are no longer listened to here.

Thanks. She'll be fine Shandy as long as she stays away from where its happening. So frightening for people no matter where they live or what their political views.
And when you don't live here its difficult not to worry about family.
I was woken by loud helicopters in the early hours. A sure sign something is happening.
What a country!

Thanks nadateturbe, I've just looked up the Springfield Road, just ten minutes drive away from my daughter's house. Stay safe.

I'm not getting into a debate. Merely giving you an update.

growstuff

nadateturbe

An update from our local newspaper for anyone who is interested.
m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/psni-rules-out-involvement-of-loyalist-paramilitaries-in-orchestrating-violence-40294368.html

How can you be sure that the PSNI hasn't had pressure applied to backtrack on what it initially said?

They will have had pressure applied that’s politics

nadateturbe

An update from our local newspaper for anyone who is interested.
m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/psni-rules-out-involvement-of-loyalist-paramilitaries-in-orchestrating-violence-40294368.html

How can you be sure that the PSNI hasn't had pressure applied to backtrack on what it initially said?

I always wondered why Ireland didn’t just unite and get on with it. It seems ridiculous to have half the country one way and half the other and always has. I know there are a lot of people very keen to stay under the British rule but , well, maybe they should have a long hard look at what is best for the place now with all this Brexit business. There will always be a certain amount of trouble whilst it is disunited. The United Republic of Ireland has a good ring to it.

An update from our local newspaper for anyone who is interested.
m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/psni-rules-out-involvement-of-loyalist-paramilitaries-in-orchestrating-violence-40294368.html

If unification does become a realistic option within the EU cash will be found to make it happen, until then they are part of the UK and will get their share of development.

Isn't the complaint always that NI 'costs' the UK a great deal of money for no return? (Which I thin, BTW, is an unpleasant way of looking at it)

Unification isn’t going to happen in the near future, think at least 20 yrs and probably 50yrs.
So the unionists have just got to live with being on friendly terms with their neighbours and stop this stupid power struggle, they are no worse off than many other UK regions.

If unification does become a realistic option within the EU cash will be found to make it happen, until then they are part of the UK and will get their share of development.

The EU might pour in some of their deprivation funding?

As part of a proper country, rather than on the periphery of an island that is uninterested in them for most of the time, perhaps NI might have a chance to develop.

Greyduster, I have a University friend who lives in Dublin and she says much the same, that the Republic would struggle to afford the North and I suspect the EU wouldn't be too keen either.

Who foots the pension/health bill etc?. I remember discussing this a few year ago with my cousin, who made his home in the Republic and has lived there for many years. He said “even if we wanted it, I doubt we could afford it!”

Recreational anti-social behaviour does not look pleasant,
but are these young children because that is what many of them are at the moment are not terrorists and so much has to be done so they don't get the mind set of many over the years in N. Ireland that planned and organized the terrorist way of life.

Recreational anti-social behavior, just lads having fun, it looked a lot more than that, organized destruction more like.

Katie59 : that is not a helpful comment to make saying people are not loyalists they are all terrorists.

People who do not want to see this violence at the moment are saying the situation is recreational anti social behaviour and are not resorting to calling people terrorists.
How can anyone justify calling young people of ages 13/14 terrorists. The ages of the eldest rioters was about 20 years old and the youngest 13 years old.
Nearly all those involved know nothing of the worst troubles 32 years ago as they have lived with the Peace Agreement in place. It is not something that needs to get a strong hold in
N. Ireland and every single person in government needs to sort it out.
Boris has said it is appalling what is happening in N. Ireland
well part of it has come from his government so he needs to do something about it.

You have a good grasp of the situation Devorgilla

I have zero sympathy for unionists in NI as far as Brexit is concerned they are in no worse position than the rest of us, this rioting is a blatant attempt to get cash as “compensation” for what they think is disadvantage. In exactly the same way they blackmailed Theresa May over Brexit, it needs to stop now, they aren’t loyalists at all just terrorists.

It is obvious that this is a desperately difficult situation and always has been, but one thing I am certain of is that Johnson is not of the intellect, moral code or ability to negotiate anything like the GFA team.

I do feel very sorry for these youths who are rioting. They do not always have the best start in life and sadly, episodes like this, give them some standing and respect in their communities. Education, employment, stable government is part of the way forward. I listened to Keir Starmer when he was interviewed yesterday and thought he came across as a sane voice of reason.

You sound like you have a very similar background to me, Alexa. Both the Irish and Scottish part of my family had no problem with mixing with both communities. My Scottish grandmother firmly believed partition was a big mistake. The 1921 solution was sorted out as a result of the Easter Rising and in the aftermath of the First World War and the world wide problems it presented. 5 years to set up an independent country is nothing and I would suspect it would take a lot longer today if the North was to be integrated into the Republic or vice versa. Who foots the pension/health bill etc? Where would the political centre be? Would it be in Belfast with the imposing building of Stormont or Dublin? What happens if the Republic vote not to integrate the North? Or the EU refuses to have them in. Or one million Protestants decide to migrate to the mainland. Also, approximately 420000 Irish passports have been issued to people outside of Ireland since the Brexit vote. Just imagine if they were also allowed to vote.

" Protestant rowdies ?" A bit harsh, isn't it Alexa ?