A step towards common sense over flags in South Belfast

The Ballynafeigh Unionist Forum has agreed a ban on flags that are associated with paramilitaries.

The flags will go up in mid June and be taken down no later than early September.

There will be no more than one flag per lampost and no flag at the lampost nearest to a Catholic Church near Rosetta roundabout.

This is, it seems, a major step towards common sense and good relations.

We say that “it seems” to be such a step because of the erratic way that events and developments have lurched back and forth on such issues, including times at which there is a sensitive use of flags and then other times in which there is a sudden appearance of paramilitary flags in certain locations.

The loyalist thinking behind widespread displays of flags is not in the least hard to understand: there is a perception that communities in which Protestants are in a minority are subject to triumphalist displays of nationalist dominance.

There is a belief that there is a low-level culture war against parades and British symbols.

This feeling was all the more acute after the decision to stop flying the Union flag daily outside Belfast City Hall.

But it is hard to justify the excessive cramming of flags anywhere, except at specific and limited times such as sporting or cultural events when people expect to see bunting.

It is impossible to justify the flying of paramilitary flags, which celebrate terrorism.

Such displays are all the more unacceptable in a mixed area, such as the Ormeau Road.

This decision is by no means the resolution of wide ranging battles over culture and symbols but it is a welcome and notable decision nonetheless.