https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/police-probing-sign-which-calls-for-business-boycott-in-ni-town-after-flags-row/a428120437.html

Adrian Rutherford

Today at 09:09

Police are treating a sign calling for a boycott of businesses in a Co Tyrone town as a hate crime.
The sign appeared in Castlederg, urging people to stay away from shops from next Friday, following a row over Union flegs in the area.

A DUP councillor said he had reported the matter to the PSNI.

The PSNI confirmed officers were investigating the incident.

There has been controversy over flags which remain in the town after a band parade in September.

Locals say the sign, erected by an unnamed group, was spotted on the wall of Priest’s Lane car park in the town.

It states: “Firstly, we have nothing against Protestant culture, but the way our town looks is unacceptable.

“We understand that it is a minority that is behind the erecting of flags, respect goes both ways.

“So from Friday the 29th of November, we call for a full boycott of all businesses in Castlederg and surrounding areas and also a boycott of all religious ceremonies over Christmas in the town centre.”

The PSNI said today: “Police are aware of a sign being erected in the Castlederg area on Friday, 22nd November.

“The report is being treated as a hate-motivated incident, and enquiries are ongoing regarding the circumstances surrounding the signage.”

Maoliosa McHugh, a Sinn Fein MLA in West Tyrone, condemned the sign.

“The sign erected and addressed to the people of Castlederg and Aghyaran is absolutely disgraceful, and I want to fully condemn whoever is behind it,” he said.

“Those who erected this offensive sign, whatever their motivation, should immediately remove it and end their anti-community behaviour.

“I also reiterate the call for the removal of flags from the town centre which is a shared space.”

DUP councillor Keith Kerrigan said the sign should be removed “immediately”.

He added: “Boycotting does not work and I totally condemn this sign being placed in Castlederg and those who felt it appropriate to erect it.

“We need to support all our local businesses and business ratepayers no matter what religious background the owners hold.

“Business owners are not responsible for what is placed on a lamppost outside their premises and to call for a boycott on the mouth of Christmas is reckless and endangers people's livelihoods.”

At a recent meeting of Derry and Strabane council, a Sinn Fein councillor claimed the band parade in September led to a “proliferation” of flags.

Ruairi McHugh said the flags were disrespectful to the nationalist community and local business owners.

“It’s also disrespectful to those people within the unionist community themselves who don’t want to see their flag flying from lamp posts,” Mr McHugh argued. “So these flags need to come down”.

He added: “I’m not raising this in an effort to curtail anybody’s rights or traditions, if people want to have a parade that’s well and good, but it’s only reasonable to ask that [flags] then be taken down in an acceptable time frame.”

by Browns_right_foot

22 comments

  2. At what stage does the majority grow a spine and just remove the damned things? For a first world country, the *Orange Lil* mentality is nothing more than a fucking joke, regardless of political affiliation. Veterans don’t walk around all day in fatigues with medals stapled to their tits. There’s a place and time, children.

  3. That’s just being a sectarian cunt against local business people.

  4. People are thankfully getting sick of the flags and other connected crap. They make the place look like a drug den instead of a public place where people are welcome.

    If flags are put up, it makes the location unwelcome and people will spend their money elsewhere.

  6. Sectarian republican bully boy tactics threatening local Protestant businesses. Sure how do they know these businesses have anything to do with the flags?

  7. It’s a tough spot for businesses. Stand up to the extreme minority of neanderthal flaggers and risk your shop being burnt out or let it go up against your will and risk being shunned by a majority of your customers.

    We need more shipyards in Castlederg

  9. What do these idiots mean when they say they will be boycotting all religious ceremonies in the town centre over Xmas.? wtf are they even talking about here?

  11. Has there been a breakdown in community relations here? Other towns seem to have some kind of agreement or understanding that flags are taken down after the marching season

  12. If there are businesses involved in putting up and keeping up the flags then boycott the shit out of them, if not don’t.

  13. Just take down the flag like you are supposed to FFS.

  14. When they say all businesses, does that mean those owned by Catholics too?

  15. “Oh but hate crime laws were not meant to be used against _us_, only against _them_!!!”

  16. Imagine classing someone not shopping in a particular business as a ‘hate crime’.

    The PSNI have to state emphatically that they are not the Tonton Macoute of Unionism.

  17. Castlederg always seemed a nice wee town.

    I fully agree that flags being removed within a reasonable time frame of an event is reasonable. Same applies for any flag, political or sport related.

    Also, flags up this time of year end up tattered and looking like shite so I wouldn’t want to leave a flag up anyway if I held value in it.

  20. Gammy will be out any moment now to defend the ones putting up the poster as its just a ‘non criminal hate incident’ which doesn’t require police involvement as they have ‘real crime’ to deal with. 

  21. I already boycott towns with flags.

    Even at this time of year when the flags are mainly down I drive straight through them. I’m so used to avoiding them in the summer.

    I can’t believe the businesses actually support the flags.

Comments are closed.