Loyalist terror gangs in sinister threat to burn Belfast council facilities over Irish language proposals

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/news/loyalist-terror-gangs-in-sinister-threat-to-burn-belfast-council-facilities-over-irish-language-proposals/a1837902370.html

Loyalist paramilitaries are planning an arson campaign to prevent Irish language signage from being displayed on Belfast City Council buildings and vehicles.

In a briefing to Sunday Life yesterday, representatives of both the UVF and UDA warned of future violence, saying: “Loyalists will embark on a campaign of burning any council vans or centres displaying Irish language signage in order to make the Belfast City Council policy unworkable.”

The sinister threats come after a majority of councillors in City Hall endorsed a new draft Irish language policy that contains pledges to adopt dual signage at its facilities and bilingual logos.

Unionist councillors have objected to the plan, as have loyalist paramilitaries, with the latter threatening a campaign of violence to make it “unworkable”.

TUV, DUP and UUP councillors officially trigger ‘call-in’ on Belfast’s Irish Language Policy

Sunday Life understands that several council depots in unionist areas of Belfast where vehicles are stored will be targeted if Irish signage appears on the premises.

“They will be burned to the ground,” said a UVF source. “This isn’t something anyone in the loyalist community wants to see happen, but it will happen if the Irish language is forced upon us.

“Many of the staff in these facilities are from a unionist background and they are also opposed to wearing uniforms or working in buildings with Irish language signs.”

UVF and UDA leaders say at the moment there is no plan to target leisure centres as they are seen as key community facilities, however, they have warned that could change.

“The council and the PSNI should not underestimate how real this threat is,” said a UDA source. ​

“It’ll be down to councillors now to work out how best to deal with this and reach a compromise.”

The PSNI is also understood to be aware of the UVF and UDA threats and has been briefed about possible violence.

Unionist councillors have been vocal in their opposition to the council’s new draft Irish language policy and will use a ‘call-in’ in a bid to have it reversed.

This is a rarely used method to have decisions reviewed.

TUV councillor and party deputy leader Ron McDowell said the Irish language is being “weaponised, politicised and forced on communities that don’t want it”.

He added: “There are huge areas of the city that don’t have an Irish population, don’t identify as Irish and why should we therefore have Irish thrust upon us?”

TUV deputy leader Ron McDowell

DUP leader and former Belfast Lord Mayor Gavin Robinson said: “If this is a shared city, we don’t stand in the way of anybody trying to engage their interest to speak Irish, but nor do we want it foisted upon the vast majority who have no interest or knowledge.”

The Irish language proposals have the support of Sinn Fein, Alliance, the SDLP and the Green Party, whose councillors form a majority in the City Hall.

Sinn Fein councillor Natasha Brennan said the policy was “a historic moment for the city in terms of equality for the indigenous language within the city”.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson

She added that it followed best practice guidelines set out in the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

Alliance’s Michael Long also gave the proposals his seal of approval, saying it would cost ratepayers “not a penny more” to implement the policy.

Several councils throughout Northern Ireland already adopt dual language signage and logos on their uniforms, vehicles and facilities.

These include Derry City and Strabane Council, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.