Stormont was lit up for International Women’s Day but not European Victims of Terrorism Day, yet terrorism killed many women

The Northern Ireland Assembly Commission’s refusal to illuminate Stormont tonight to mark this European Victims’ of Terrorism Day (the anniversary of the Madrid train bomb atrocity) will be seen as a calculated snub.
By Samuel Morrison
Published 11th Mar 2020, 13:15 BST
Stormont is illuminated for International Women's Day on Sunday March 8 2020. Unionists including Jim Allister MLA asked why it is not being lit up for European Victims of Terrorism Day. Image taken from @niassembly twitter feed, which put it out with the following wording: 'Parliament Buildings is going purple tonight to mark #InternationalWomensDay2020 #EachForEqual'Stormont is illuminated for International Women's Day on Sunday March 8 2020. Unionists including Jim Allister MLA asked why it is not being lit up for European Victims of Terrorism Day. Image taken from @niassembly twitter feed, which put it out with the following wording: 'Parliament Buildings is going purple tonight to mark #InternationalWomensDay2020 #EachForEqual'
Stormont is illuminated for International Women's Day on Sunday March 8 2020. Unionists including Jim Allister MLA asked why it is not being lit up for European Victims of Terrorism Day. Image taken from @niassembly twitter feed, which put it out with the following wording: 'Parliament Buildings is going purple tonight to mark #InternationalWomensDay2020 #EachForEqual'

A snub thrown into stark focus by the fact that on Sunday, 48 hours after victims of terrorism were remembered at an event at Stormont on Friday night, they were able to light the building in honour of International Women’s Day.

Celebrating women in the abstract was fine.

Lighting Stormont to remember Jean McConville, eight year old Kathryn Eakin, the seven women incinerated in La Mon or the mother and daughter burned to death in their Dromore home was beyond Stormont.

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Stormont should have been lit for women like Rosaleen McDonald, shot by the UDA in 1976, and 15 year old Geraldine O’Reilly, murdered in a 1972 loyalist bomb in Co Cavan — relatives of whom have addressed the Victims’ Day event in the past.

The commission cites policy as the reason for their decision.

Anyone who has observed Stormont will know rules can be bent.

The assembly was recalled two months after its collapse solely to permit MLAs to pay tribute to IRA commander Martin McGuinness in the chamber.

I suppose sometimes exceptions to the rules can be a telling commentary on why they are rigidly applied on other occasions.

Samuel Morrison, Traditional Unionist, Dromore Co Down

Related topics:Martin McGuinnessDromore