The Five Demands

BNP warned to stay away from Belfast flag protests (NewsLetter)

The British National Party has been warned to stay away from protests in support of the Union flag at Belfast City Hall.

BNP leader Nick Griffin turned up at the Ulster Covenant centenary celebrations in the grounds of Stormont this year. Some of his party colleagues, including Jim Dowson, have been taking part in protests in support of the Union flag at Belfast City Hall.

However protesters have indicated that they fear the BNP want to try and hijack the flag protest and have warned them to stay away.

Protests have been taking place throughout Northern Ireland since Belfast City Council voted at the start of December to fly the Union flag only on 20 statutory days, instead of all year round as the policy had been.

Sinn Fein and the SDLP wanted the flag removed completely but voted for a proposal by the Alliance Party to fly the Union flag from the City Hall on statutory days.

Since then protests have been taking place across Northern Ireland, as well as in England and Scotland in support of restoring the flag to City Hall all year around.

The protests are not being led by one organiser but arranged by local people in the various communities mostly via social networking websites and by text message. A protest even took place on Christmas Day on the Newtownards Road, outside East Belfast Alliance MP Naomi Long’s office.

One of the protesters has posted on Facebook a warning for the BNP to stay away.

“These guys may be under the same flag but they have northing else in common with the Protestant community. BNP you are not welcome, stay away,” one protester posted on the Keep The Union Flag Flying Over City Hall page on the social networking website Facebook.

The statement, which was posted on Thursday afternoon has been liked by over 200 people.

A Facebook paged entitled Ulster Says No to the BNP and to Nick Griffin has also been set up.