Councillor's 'disappointment' over number of tricolours
Published Date: 18 March 2009
Amid the bunting and colourful decorations at yesterday's St Patrick's Day parade, there were also plenty of tricolours on display.
A Unionist councillor and former Lord Mayor of Belfast said that while he did not like seeing the flag of the Republic used on the streets, he realised that many people recognised the symbol.
Ulster Unionist councillor Jim Rodgers said: "This sort of thing happens year after year. While I obviously don't like seeing the flag of another country being flown in Belfast, I recognise that the people flying the tricolour feel it is the flag of their country. However, we know that the real flag of Northern Ireland is the Union Flag."
Two News Letter readers contacted the paper to complain about tricolours in the crowd. One man said he hoped that, in the new spirit of cooperation between the communities, he would be able to enjoy the festival. However, on seeing the amount of tricolours in the crowd he immediately left, seeing nothing of the parade.
Belfast City Council have tried to make the St Patrick's Day parade as inclusive as possible, to appeal to all the community. Yesterday's carnival, for example, featured volunteers handing out free green and white shamrock flags in an attempt to make the parade more neutral.
Still, many of the revellers had brought along their own tricolours instead. And for those not waving the flag, there were clearly a lot of alternatives.
Green, white and gold jester hats seemed popular among some younger members of the crowd, while many of the girls accessorised their outfits with glittery tricolour hats and stetsons. There were even tricolour wigs and party horns on display from members of the crowd.
The parade itself featured around 1,000 participants from across the city, including a display from the Chinese community, dressed in traditional clothes - a sign of how the council have tried to make the festivities more inclusive.
And the crowd wasn't completely made up of people in green, white and gold. The vast majority of people were not there to wave flags, but simply to enjoy themselves. People of all ages and races watched the carnival, many just dressed in the traditional green.
Councillor Rodgers, who led the parade last year in his role as first citizen, applauded the council for trying to make the parade more inclusive: "Some people will be critical that there is a St Patrick's day parade in Belfast at all.
"However, I think it is amazing how far things have progressed thanks to the good work of the council. They should be congratulated."
Meanwhile, DUP MLA for East Londonderry George Robinson has slammed the appearance of tricolours in Limavady as "deliberately provocative, divisive and, most importantly, deeply disrespectful".
He said that in a week that saw three murders, a few people had shown the "greatest disrespect possible by erecting tricolours".
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