Loyalists issue 'summer of chaos' warning - compare Ursula von der Leyen to 'ostrich' and refer to her as 'yet another unelected German'

A body that represents loyalist paramilitary groups such as the UVF, UDA and Red Hand Commando has hit back at European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after she said there will be no alternative to the Northern Ireland Protocol.
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Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen made the remarks in Brussels on Monday evening.

“Just one focus on the protocol, there should be no doubt that there is no alternative to the full and correct implementation of the protocol."

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Reacting to what Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen, the Loyalist Communities Council (LCC) issued a statement describing the EC President as "yet another unelected German" and warned against Northern Ireland descending into a "summer of chaos".

The relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Commission is said to be strained at the moment.The relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Commission is said to be strained at the moment.
The relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Commission is said to be strained at the moment.

"The comments from EC President Ursula von der Leyen that there is no alternative to the Northern Ireland Protocol shows how little she cares about peace and stability in Northern Ireland despite her protestations to the contrary," said the LCC.

"She is like an ostrich with her head in the sand ignoring the reality around her and clearly content to watch Northern Ireland to descend into chaos this summer.

"I would appeal to her to start listening and to recognise that the imposition of the protocol on the people of Northern Ireland without their involvement or consent is unsustainable and actually contrary to many of the key founding tenets of the European Union."

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The LCC added: "I also appeal to the Irish government to 'man up' and admit to misleading the commission with regard to the compatibility of the protocol with the Belfast agreement and its impact on both communities in Northern Ireland.

"This admission would allow the commission and the United Kingdom government to collectively suspend the protocol and would do much to start to repair the damage caused to the North-South relationships here.

"But be clear - the protocol has to go and will go - the people of Northern Ireland will not accept this diktat from yet another unelected German."

The LCC caused controversy last week when one of their representatives, 19 year-old Joel Keys, told the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee that in the context of the Northern Ireland Protocol he "could not rule violence off the table".

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LCC Chairman, David Campbell, also told the committee that he believed the issues around the Northern Ireland Protocol had to be solved before the beginning of the summer otherwise next year's Assembly elections would be fought be along sectarian divides.

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