Alliance councillor’s apology over ‘Bloody Friday’ tweet

Cllr Long, who represents the Lisnasharragh ward in Belfast, posted a message on Twitter, saying the focus of a council committee meeting on Friday would be on Platinum Jubilee funding and “a DUP proposal of Bloody Friday”.

He said his on focus will be on a £500k scheme to have alleyways gated, and added: “Others engage in sham fights, Alliance deliver”.

The tweet provoked an angry backlash from many Twitter users, as well as several political rivals, urging him to delete the tweet and apologise.

Their anger centred on claims that Cllr Long’s reference to Bloody Friday played down the significance of marking the 50th anniversary of a day of bomb carnage in Belfast city centre.

On Friday, July 21, 1972, the IRA detonated 22 bombs in the space of 75 minutes, killing nine people and seriously injured around 130 others.

The DUP has proposed that Belfast City Council facilitates a “programme of commemoration” to mark the atrocity.

DUP group leader on the council, Brian Kingston, said: “The DUP brought forward this proposal having been approached by a victims group.

“Bloody Friday stands as one of the most horrific atrocities during the troubles. The motion is specifically aimed at reaching out to all those impacted to offer support and a suitable way to commemorate this indiscriminate attack which impacted on people from all backgrounds.

Cllr Kingston added: “The comments from Michael Long are not just insensitive but insulting to those victims who have requested this motion be put forward.”

SDLP Upper Bann MLA Dolores Kelly called on public representatives to show greater sensitivity when discussing Troubles-related incidents.

“Behind events like Bloody Friday are devastated families who lost their loved ones and still carry those scars and pain with them to this day,” she said.

“The tweet from Michael Long was ill-judged and should be withdrawn. In his rush to attack political opponents he spared no thought for those who were impacted by the terrible events of this day”.

TUV North Belfast candidate Ron McDowell said: “Cllr Long needs to seriously reflect on his comments. Frankly taken at face value they suggest he is unfit for office. There was nothing sham about Bloody Friday.”

In a statement, Cllr later said: I want to apologise for my clumsily worded tweet. I was not criticising the commemoration of Bloody Friday, which Alliance supports.

“My reference to sham fights related to the divisive approach at Belfast City Council and elsewhere to commemorations of this and other events in our troubled past.

“I have apologised and deleted the tweet to avoid any misunderstanding, or causing further hurt, which was never my intention.”

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