By Dr. Elena Mastors, vice president and former dean &
Dr. Nicole Burtchett, associate professor of Intelligence Studies, School of Security and Global Studies at American Public University
In the United States, our national flag is raised and lowered with little controversy. Not so in Northern Ireland, where recent legislation about the flying of the British flag brought to the surface issues of equity between: British Protestants and Irish Catholics.
Northern Ireland has been labeled as a post-conflict society, but this is a misnomer as the two sides continue to clash. Political decisions tend to be viewed as a zero-sum game.
A Belfast City Council proposal to completely ban the flying of the British flag over city hall was put forth by Sinn Fein, an Irish Catholic identity- based party that ultimately seeks the reunification of Ireland. The Irish Catholic Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) supported this position which, in turn, was opposed by British Protestant identity- based parties, including the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Ulster Unionist Party (UUP).
However, a compromise was brought forth by the Alliance Party, which is a cross community -based party, seeking a shared society. As Alliance Party and Parliament Member Naomi Campbell explained, the party based its compromise on British government flag flying protocols, which justify the flying of the flag on designated days.
On December 3, 2012 the Belfast City Council voted 29-21 on the revised proposal put forth by the Alliance Party to limit the flying of the British flag over city hall. Rather than flying the Union Jack year round, it will now be flown on designated days.
In the weeks before the vote, leaflets were distributed by the DUP, calling for protests against the proposed compromise by the Alliance Party. These leaflets were printed using the colors of the Alliance Party, but did not name the creator or distributor. About 1,000 protestors gathered on the day of the vote.
Immediately after the vote, a more serious chain of events was set in motion. Protests began peacefully, but many resulted in clashes with the police. One serious confrontation in East Belfast resulted in protestors marching past the Short Strand, a Catholic area, where violent confrontation ensued. Further, there was evidence that the Protestant paramilitary group, Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), was present at various protests.
Protests were organized and facilitated through the use of social media. For example, the Facebook page Save Our Union Jack emerged. In addition to Facebook, protest information and images were transmitted via twitter.
The change in the flag-flying protocol to designated days was seen by those with a British identity as an attack on that identity. Further, the dominant ruling blocs governed by Sinn Fein and the DUP in the Assembly are seen as perpetuating sectarianism in their decision- making, which is filtering down to local levels. This is just one illustration of how public policy in Northern Ireland is being influenced by much larger identity issues.
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