Like the vast majority of people in the UK I observed lockdown and am disgusted at scenes of illegal protest in Belfast and London

As someone who missed church in recent months many multiples of times more than I have in the previous years of my life combined, went without seeing his parents for months, missed a funeral of a good friend’s father and generally followed both the letter and the spirit of the guidelines (like the vast majority of people UK wide) I am disgusted at the scenes both in Belfast and in London in recent days.
By Samuel Morrison
Published 8th Jun 2020, 17:26 BST
Updated 9th Jun 2020, 11:30 BST
Parliament Buildings in Stormont was lit up in yellow on Saturday to show the assembly's solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. But Stormont was not lit for Victims of Terrorism Day. Photo: Michael Cooper/PA WireParliament Buildings in Stormont was lit up in yellow on Saturday to show the assembly's solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. But Stormont was not lit for Victims of Terrorism Day. Photo: Michael Cooper/PA Wire
Parliament Buildings in Stormont was lit up in yellow on Saturday to show the assembly's solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. But Stormont was not lit for Victims of Terrorism Day. Photo: Michael Cooper/PA Wire

The law bans gatherings of more than six people.

It says nothing about social distancing. Every single one of those who gathered in Belfast on Wednesday and on Saturday should have been ticketed by the PSNI. They weren’t.

In fact after the first protest the police announced they wouldn’t be taking any action.

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Letter to the editor
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We’ve all seen the violence in the US. We can all read the revolutionary demands of the Black Lives Matter movement — such as defunding the police — which are clearly spelt out on their website.

Yet on Saturday night Stormont was lit in yellow. They couldn’t light it for Innocent Victims of Terrorism Day but they could light it for the thuggish movement #BlackLivesMatter.

Shame on the parties of the Executive who voted to do so.

Shame on the PSNI for the double standards.

Shame on BBC NI for carrying in its Covid blog (at 14.57 on June 6) details of a law firm offering to assist anyone the PSNI do decide to prosecute free of charge.

Enough of this nonsense of making excuses for the protestors.

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Enough of these apologetic questions about how we need to respect the right to protest even though we curtail that and basically every other freedom for everyone else.

Enough of this nonsense that events on the other side of the Atlantic somehow excuse or explain what took place in London on at the weekend.

Enough of the government pussyfooting around those who desecrate our memorials to those who fought fascism, the evilest, most racist system the world has ever know — on the anniversary of D-Day of all days.

Enough of uneducated louts defacing the statue of Abraham Lincoln who literally freed the slaves in the US and was murdered for doing so.

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Enough of thugs demanding that we literally bow down before them.

Respect is earned, not given. This moment has done zero to earn anyone’s respect and an awful lot to lose it.

Samuel Morrison, Traditional Unionist Dromore Co Down

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Related topics:BelfastLondonPSNI