Though I am now in Derry-Londonderry (you call it based on whether or not you are a nationalist or a unionist, some are simply referring it to the “slash city”), I am not finished thinking about Belfast.
The Flag Issues: The Union Flag of the UK is the only official flag. It is flown by unionists and loyalists but is disliked by nationalists and republicans. The Ulster Banner is the flag of the Government of Northern Ireland but since that government was resolved in 1973, the flag has no status. It is still used by the Northern Ireland football team and in the commonwealth games. The Ulster flag and the Cross of St. Patrick have no official status and cannot be flown from government buildings. The Irish Tricolor flag, the flag of Ireland is the national flag of the Republic of Ireland is flown by republicans and nationalists as the flag of all of Ireland. There are many other flags with meanings.
The Irish Tricolor is flown on St. Patrick’s Day. The Ulster Banner is flown on July 12th celebrations, a unionist event. In December 2012, the Union flag was flown at city hall only on designated days instead of all year. This let to protests and riots.
Flags designate certain neighborhoods and many flags are displayed. Though there are ordinances that prohibit the flags in certain places, if a flag is removed, then there would be 3 more put in its place before morning. Every Saturday there are protests over the flags at city hall. But when I asked young people about the flags, most of the ones I queried could not identify all of the flags. This is a society where symbols are fought over and people get hurt.
Leara Rhodes 