https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd0j8ry99r7o

A former Lord Mayor of Belfast has condemned posters in west Belfast that warn people of the dangers of paramilitary gangs, claiming the local community is being unfairly labelled.

Máirtín Ó Muilleoir believes the signs stigmatise the community in west Belfast.

The billboards have been seen in Andersonstown as well as other areas of the city, in parts of east Belfast.

They are part of a public awareness campaign called Ending the Harm which was launched last year by the Executive Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime (EPPOC).

The Department of Justice said the campaign is not about targeting any one community, rather "gives a name to the many ways that paramilitaries exploit vulnerable people" in the community.

An official website says its wider aim is to ensure people are safe from paramilitary gangs and are supported to be more resilient against attempts to influence and control them.

The billboards feature slogans such as "paramilitary gangs exploit hard-working local businesses" and "paramilitaries control our communities with violence, intimidation and drug dealing".
'Don't stigmatise our community'
Máirtín Ó Muilleoir with a paramilitary sign in the background. He has white hair, wearing a blue jacket.
Image caption,

Máirtín Ó Muilleoir says the message the signs give to potential investors or people visiting the area

Mr Ó Muilleoir served as Lord Mayor of Belfast from 2013-2014 and as a Sinn Féin member of the legislative assembly (MLA) for South Belfast from 2014-2017; he also the publisher of the Belfast Media Group titles – including Andersonstown News.

He believes the signs paint an inaccurate picture of the Andersonstown area.

"This is a community with strong schools, strong sporting clubs, a really resilient community and the last thing you should say about it is that if you come here your business is going to be exploited or extorted.

He said the message the signs give to potential investors or people visiting the area is "that there is something wrong with this area, there's something wrong with these people, this is a dangerous area".

"Don't stigmatise our community, don't pretend you talk for us. We want to celebrate this community and not be denigrated," Ó Muilleoir said.
'Spend money on tourism'
Donal Reilly with part of the Falls Road in the background. He has short dark hair, brown eyes, wearing a grey top and black apron.
Image caption,

Donal Reilly runs the café at An Cultúrlann on the Falls Road

Local businesses in west Belfast share the view that the billboards unfairly represent them.

Donal Reilly runs the café at An Cultúrlann on the Falls Road.

"I have been in business in west Belfast for close to five years and I have never had any experience of paramilitaries whatsoever. Speaking with other local businesses in the area as well, there's no evidence of that," Mr Reilly said.

"The money spent on this campaign should be spent on promoting west Belfast as a tourism destination. Thousands of people come up and down this road."
Posters do not 'demonise communities'
A sign saying: "Paramilitary gangs control our communities with violence, intimidation and drug dealing."

In a statement, the Justice Minister Naomi Long said the billboards "do not demonise communities".

"What they actually do is give a name to the many ways that paramilitaries exploit vulnerable people in our communities… this is not about targeting a specific community; the billboards feature right across Northern Ireland, in all communities."

Naomi Long during canvassing in east Belfast where she was her party's candidate in the Westminster electionImage source, PA Media
Image caption,

Naomi Long says the posters give a name to the many ways that paramilitaries exploit vulnerable people

Long added that "paramilitarism is a complex issue that requires a complex range of solutions".

"Public awareness campaigns are just one part of the approach, and they complement the broad range of interventions that are supported under the wider Programme."

by HeWasDeadAllAlong

10 comments

  1. Does he think Stormont is the only place allowed to exploit communities in west Belfast?

  2. in fairness paramilitaries aren’t as active in west belfast as they once were. i know plenty of families in and around the falls with their own businesses without so much as a run in with a republican paramilitary in the last 10 years.

    i’m not sure how active loyalist paramilitaries are in belfast though.

  3. I don’t have much time for Sinn Féin, but MOM always struck me as a decent guy. Made decent/genuine attempts at outreach to Unionists (which were not reciprocated), and seems to be highly invested in his own community.

  5. Obviously the answer lies somewhere in the dodgy dealings with politicians, but I always wonder why we persist in calling these ‘paramilitary’ groups. They’re common gangs now. Calling themselves by a name that vaguely resembles a group involved in a conflict that ended almost 30 years ago doesn’t give them any more legitimacy than any other organised crime gang

  6. I’ve seen the signs all over. The twat should wind his neck in fs

  7. I grew up in a staunchly Themmun area, surrounded by murals and flags and I don’t feel it influenced me at all or painted my neighbours in a negative light, every area like this has a minority of people that paint murals etc, it isn’t representative of the entire community.

  8. Maybe if they stopped wasting money on silly campaigns and if the police actually arrested gangsters instead of holding community meetings with thwm

  9. I listened to Naoimi Long the so called justice minister on radio Ulster. I do not like that woman. She’s sneakid. I get scandal vibes off her.

  10. These billboards will do fuck all, what’s needed is to give the PSNI temporary special powers when it comes to dealing with paramilitaries and just take the gloves off and let them rip these fuckers apart.

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