Jamie Bryson warns ‘storm is brewing’ in loyalism and ‘risk to peace’ getting clearer

He is billed to speak alongside Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, Jim Allister, Kate Hoey, and Ben Habib.

Mr Bryson is one of the core organising forces behind the rolling wave of anti-Protocol rallies across the Province during the past year.

He has repeatedly condemned what he saw as threats of violence from republicans whilst Brexit negotiations were under way, with the suggestion being that any north/south border infrastructure would be vulnerable to attack; this is why he frequently uses the phrase “the violence-rewarding protocol”.

Echoing a theme from a speech by Rev Mervyn Gibson a week earlier, Mr Bryson’s speech alludes to the gunrunning by the olden-day UVF.

“Here in Bangor, just less than a week ago from this date, back in 1914, Ulstermen landed guns just down the road, and in Donaghadee and Larne. They answered Carson’s call and sent a clear message, relevant to their time.

“Put simply; our forefathers held that not even Parliament itself has the right to take from us our British citizenship and heritage. That core message is as true to today as it was then.

“Of course, we are now in different times, the weapons by which we fight are not the same as our forefathers, but rather they are tools such as the law, political activism and just like tonight, peaceful protest.”

In his own address in east Belfast on April 22, leading Orangeman Rev Gibson had spoken out against unionist apathy in the face of the Protocol, saying: “Apathy was not an option when guns were landed at Larne and Donaghadee.”

Rev Gibson’s words had drawn a rebuke from Alliance MP Stephen Farry, who was quoted in the Irish News saying: “There is no place for guns and gunrunning in NI politics and society. Nods and winks to past examples are not acceptable.”

Mr Bryson tonight will say: “A storm which is brewing but which at the moment hasn’t exploded because of these protests and the elections acting as a pressure valve to give an avenue for the expression of the growing anger and frustration within unionist and loyalist communities.

“But make no mistake of the concerning reality. The storm is brewing, and the risk to the peace we all value is becoming ever more apparent. The basis of the loyalist commitment to peace, and support for the Belfast Agreement, was that the Union was safe, secured by the principle of consent.”

And he plans to say: “The basis of the loyalist commitment to peace, and support for the Belfast Agreement, was that the Union was safe, secured by the principle of consent. The Union is no longer safe, and the principle of consent has been exposed as a fundamental deception.”

Mr Bryson also intends to say: “Lest there be any confusion, such as that which nationalism sought to create over Rev Mervyn Gibson’s speech- invoking the spirit of the Ulster Covenant is not to in any way encourage a repetition of the tactics relevant to that time, but rather to encourage the same spirit of unity and commitment to the cause which we all serve, which is to live in a peaceful and prosperous United Kingdom. I am on record, time and time again, encouraging young loyalists to use the weapons of the law, political activism and education to advance our cause.

“Any attempt to suggest or present anything otherwise is entirely malicious.”

In the past, Mr Bryson had recounted how former security force men told him that if only they had been given a freer hand to tackle the IRA “then there would never have been a need for the UVF, UDA or any loyalist organisation”.

In a blog post from 2013, he went on to say: “It is an undeniable right that if the government is unwilling or incapable of protecting the lives of the people then the able bodied have a duty to protect themselves. This is why in my view loyalist organisations were not terrorists, they were patriots... they had no other choice.”

The News Letter put it to Mr Bryson that parts of his draft speech tonight could be seen as an attempt to use the prospect of violence as a means of influencing policy – something he often criticises republicans over.

He responded: “The unfortunate precedent of violence being rewarded was set when the Irish government went on to the world stage and used the threat of IRA bombs for political leverage, which is the genesis of the Union-subjugating protocol.”

Mr Bryson also said: “That is not something anyone wanted to see and its effect has been significant. I encourage peaceful and lawful protest only, and always have, but we can not be blind to the fact that there are increasing numbers of people in loyalism looking at how the IRA have been rewarded and wondering why legitimate peaceful protest is of less currency in a democracy. That creates a dangerous environment.

“The way to avoid that is to remove the violence-rewarding protocol. It would be irresponsible not to call attention to the simmering anger in loyalist communities.”