Real republican leadership would be to axe IRA displays

The rumblings over the flying of banners standing up for our brave and courageous HM Forces veterans, who stood to protect all of our citizens from the wicked and savage actions of those wedded to violence, is yet another layer to the never-ending strategy of republicanism saying one thing and doing another.

Their previous shameless naming of (of all things), a children’s playground after a cowardly terrorist, exposed them for the hypocrites that they are.

For decades, IRA-SF engaged in their appalling breaches of human rights, blowing up men, women and children; even, tragically, the unborn were not spared in their pointless and barbaric campaign of terrorism.

This one-sided avalanche of denial has to be challenged at every step of the way in any shared future.

Real leadership from republicans is called for to remove the many grotesque memorials to terrorists from this part of the UK, and the countless flags and murals depicting their many human rights criminals from public places.

Until such times, their latest objection will be viewed as another cynical attempt to further their agenda and deny the truth about their sordid and abject failure of the past.

Stephen Cooper, TUV councillor, Comber