New UDA murals ‘less threatening’ than before: UUP councillor

The four main images, on the gable walls of bungalows at the Newtownards Road junction with Templemore Avenue, show UDA members as standing in defence of their own community, as well as women acting in support of the UDA men by preparing food.

Previously the walls at the so-called ‘Freedom Corner’ were painted with more sinister images of hooded UFF terrorists brandishing assault rifles and other UDA/UFF imagery.

In other parts of east Belfast, some paramilitary murals have been replaced with more positive images of sporting heroes and literary figures, as well as social history themes including the building of the Titanic.

However, that transformation has not been a continuous process and a number of murals – depicting armed UVF members – have remained in place or been reinstated in recent years.

Several political and community representatives expressed their disappointment when an image of football legend George Best was replaced by a UVF gunman in the Sydenham area in 2013. That mural has remained in place.

At the time, the then PUP councillor Dr John Kyle branded the decision to complete the mural a “disgrace,” and said: “I think the people of east Belfast deserve better. The vast majority want to look to the future and not to the past.”

Commenting on the latest Newtownards Road artworks Cllr Kyle, who has since joined the UUP, said any move away from imagery with “implied threats” was to be welcomed.

“I think this is an evolution of street art, and what you have there now is closer to social history rather than paramilitary propaganda,” Cllr Kyle said.

“It is now more documenting the social history of the area, rather than paramilitary propaganda or threatening and militaristic murals with implied threats.”

Cllr Kyle said he hopes the community is continuing to move forward.

“I think that the change is to be welcomed. I think that street art does tell a story and we need to recognise that, and we need to also recognise that these are communities on a journey – hopefully towards a peaceful and reconciled community, but this is all part of that journey,” he added.

However, Alliance MLA Peter McReynolds said: “We have seen a number of murals across Belfast successfully re-imaged in recent years, so it is disappointing to once again see paramilitary imagery in this location.

“Paramilitary murals glorify terrorism, promote fear and exert coercive control on local communities.

“We should instead be using murals to celebrate the positive aspects of East Belfast and Northern Ireland, instead of images of masked gunmen.”