★ ☆ A WEEK IN EIVISSA ☆ ★ EXAMS ARE OVERRRRRRR

• • 27 May at 22:00 until 9 June at 02:00

• EIVISSA ROCKS with PARTY GAMES, GIVEAWAYS and MUCH more, EIVISSA BELFAST OPEN 7 NIGHTS A WEEKEXAMS ARE OVER… LETSPARTYGHB‘B – SUNDAYBANG TIDY – MONDAYTOO_HIP – TUESDAY PULL – WEDNESDAY LOVE/HATE – THURSDAY FRISKY SOCIETY – FRIDAY BLUSH – SATURDAY WITH COOL FM‘s RYAN A, DJ KOOPA and EMMA BUCHANAN playing a mix of urban, rnb,hip-hop, commercial, dance, house and everything in between your sure to find the tunes your after to fuel your night! LIVE ACOUSIC MUSIC IN THE BEER GARDEN for something different, with a large heated seated area chill out and listen to all your favourite songs with a twist.. For guestlist and vip 07794948181 02890 239123 FACEBOOK tiny.cc/bangbangprfacebook eivissabelfast eivissapullwednesday ** 43 franklin street belfast – BT2 7 GE WITH BANG BANG!PR AND PRINT

Eivissa Saturday

43 Franklin Street, bt2 7ge Belfast, United Kingdom

View map · Get directions

POSTED ON BEHALF OF : Public event · By Jack McHugh

Related articles

• Belfast…. – Belfast, United Kingdom (travelpod.com)
• Free Belfast City Hall gig to celebrate Olympic Torch tour (belfasttelegraph.co.uk)
• Girdwood Is Go ! (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)
• Belfast councillors’ bank details blunder cost almost £65k (belfasttelegraph.co.uk)
• Wonder wall: Belfast’s new vertical gardens (belfasttelegraph.co.uk)

” ONE SIDED NATURE OF POLICING ” !

APPEALS DECISION SLAMMED !

THE FAILURE BY members of an Ardoyne residents group to overturn their convictions for staging a sit-down protest during a disputed Orange Order parade highlights the one-sided nature of Policing against republicans, a spokesman for the group has said.

Yesterday ( Wednesday 16th May ) eight men, including some members of Greater Ardoyne Residents Collective (GARC), had their appeals against conviction in relation to a sit-down protest on the Crumlin Road last July rejected. The eight, including GARC spokesman Dee Fennell, were ordered to pay the £400 fines imposed in December last year. So far a total of 28 people have been convicted in relation to the blockade, which preceded three days of violence in the area. Speaking to the North Belfast News yesterday Fennell said the failure of the appeal brings into focus the comparatively low number of arrests in relation to recent high profile loyalist protests, including the December 2010 protest outside Belfast City Hall over a decision by Sinn Fein mayor Niall O’ Donnghaile not to present an army cadet with an award, anddisturbances during the loyalist Tour of the North Parade in June 2011 when loyalist protesters were seen climbing on Police vans and drinking in the street. ” This just clearly shows the one-sided nature of Policing of parades here,” said Fennell. ” Loyalists seem to be able to protest willy-nilly yet when a group of nationalists hold a peaceful, non-violent sit-down protest against a Orange Order parade they are dragged through the courts. It highlights the continuing demonstration and criminalization of the Ardoyne community.

So far there have been no arrests for the protest at Belfast City Hall because police say no formal statements of complaint were made. There have also been no arrests for the Tour of the North disturbances. A police spokesman also confirmed that there had been no arrests in connection with a 2010 loyalist blockade at the enterance to the Asda supermarket on the Shore Road in support of Asda worker Billy Hunter who was saked for allegedly making a sectarian comment. He subsequently got his job back. Furthermore,there has only been one youth charged in connection with rioting in Rathcoole in October 2010. ” Nationalists have the right to protest peacefully against unwanted loyalist parades in their area, but this is not reflected by the Policing.”

The police spokesman said they ” always seek to make policing decisions to the benefit of the entire community”. ” We do recognise that sometimes policing decisions can be controversial but we would again assure people that any decisions we take are based upon the prevailing need at the time and with the intention of preventing any harm to the community,”     he said. Dee Fennell said the eight who failed in their appeal are willing to go to jail rather than pay the fines. He added that GARC will continue to stage peaceful protests against Orange Order parades through Ardoyne. The eight men who appealed were Dee Fennell; Daniel Lundy; John Darragh; Paul Carson; Alan Lundy; William Catney; Robert Jackson and Aiden Ferguson.

WITH THANKS TO : GEMMA BURNS, NORTH BELFAST NEWS.

Related articles

• No Payment Details for Parades Initiative Leader ! (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)
• ” We’ll Go to Jail Rather Than Pay Fines” Say Garc ! (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)
• ‘Ardoyne-style talks’ wanted at Drumcree (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)
• Alderdice to lead Ardoyne parades talks (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)
• Girdwood Is Go ! (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)

NO PAYMENT DETAILS FOR PARADES INITIATIVE LEADER !

Lord John Alderdice is examining if progress can be made ahead of the controversial Twelfth parade in Ardoyne in July. It is part of ongoing attempts to avoid a repetition of the violence seen in recent years during the marching season. Last year the violence following the Orange Order parade past nationalist homes in Ardoyne lasted for four days. With only eight weeks until July 12, no resolution between nationalists and the Orange Order has been met. The North Belfast News understands Lord Alderdice has only met with nationalists parades group Crumlin Roadand Ardoyne Residents’ Association (CARA),

once since the announcement of his involvement in the parading issues last month, giving rise to fears no agreement will be made and lead to a repeat of previous years’ violence clashes. A spokesman for the Parades Commission refused to say how much the former Alliance party is being paid to carry out his role. ” The Parades Commission invited Lord Alderdice to examine if progress could be made or agreement reached around parading in Ardoyne,” he said, ” To date he has had a number of meetings with different groups in different formats and more are planned. In asking him to carry out this work the Commission acknowledged Lord Alderdice’s international reputation in community relations and peace-building and agreed he should be remunerated for the hours spent on this work at a level appropriate to his experience,” he said.

WITH THANKS TO : GEMMA BURNS, NORTH BELFAST NEWS.

Related articles

• Alderdice to lead Ardoyne parades talks (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)
• ‘Ardoyne-style talks’ wanted at Drumcree (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)
• ” We’ll Go to Jail Rather Than Pay Fines” Say Garc ! (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)
• “They are conversations – they are not negotiations, they are not mediation…” (sluggerotoole.com)
• Alderdice to lead parade group (bbc.co.uk)

GIRDWOOD IS GO !

After years of stalemate a deal is reached on barrack land with the crucial elements of housing sort

A major political-break-through that will finally see a historic agreement on the future of the Girdwood site is set to be announced as early as next week, the North Belfast News can exclusively reveal.

After months of background negotiations all political parties have reached an agreement on the issue and the final massive package for the site will be revealed within days. The Girdwood Barracks site on the Crumlin Road has long been known as the ” open sore ” of North Belfast, with multimillion pound plans to regenerate the site stalled for years due to the failure of local politicians to agree on the plans. In November last year we revealed £9.6 million was offered by the Special EU Programmes Body(SEUPB) to build a multi use ” community hub ” at the site. It was understood the European money, which will be added to the tens of millions required to build the site, was a major catalyst in the parties reaching an agreement on the land.

The massive new regeneration deal will include the hub as well as a huge investment in leisure facilities, sports pitches and incorporate land for the Mater Hospitaland local schools as well as well as space for employment and training.

Significantly it will also include housing – the main sticking point between the parties – with Unionists previously objecting to any housing on the historic former barracks land. Although it is not yet clear how many homes are to be built on the site, we understand housing is a significant part of the agreed package. Sources have speculated the DUP, who had been the main opponents of housing at Girdwood, agreed to the plans because changes to the electoral boundaries will continue to give a Unionist majority in the North Belfast constituency, regardless of how many nationalists would be housed in Girdwood.

There has also been speculation that with two North Belfast ministers in the Stormont Executive, Culture Minister Caral Ni Chuilin and Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland, that North Belfast was high on the agenda. A source told the North Belfast News the agreement is a ” new era ” for North Belfast. ” This is a massive breakthrough and can’t be underestimated. Everyone knows how long Girdwood has been dragging on for, so to have them agree to something they are all happy with is huge. ” If they are able to unlock Girdwood after all this time it bodes will for everything else in North Belfast. This really is big news.”

WITH MANY THANKS TO : GEMMA BURNS NORTH BELFAST NEWS.

Related articles

• Plan finally agreed for abandoned north Belfast Army base (belfasttelegraph.co.uk)
• Gaol set for distillery make-over (belfasttelegraph.co.uk)
• Orange parade ‘sets tone’ for centenaries (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)
• Opposition to Renaming of Belfast Street by the Dup ! (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)
• ‘Ardoyne-style talks’ wanted at Drumcree (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)

” WE’LL GO TO JAIL RATHER THAN PAY FINES” SAY GARC !

NATIONALIST residents who failed yesterday to overturn convictions for staging a sitdown protest at a disputed Orange Order parade have vowed to go to jail rather than pay fines.

Appeals by eight men found guilty of obstructing lawful activity in public were dismissed at elfast County ourt. ines of £400.00 had been imposed on each of them for blocking a main road at Ardoyne in the North of the cityduring the Twelth of July march in 2010. Some were also convicted of resising arrest and handed an additional £200 in penalties. Judge Derick Rodgers threw out the appeals after rejecting all grounds of challange.

Outside the Court it was claimed the charges were brought in a doomed attempt to silence the Greater Ardoyne Residents Coalition’s ( GARC ) opposition to Orange parades. GARC spokesman Damien Fennell ( 30 ) of Linden Gardens, Belfast, who was one of those found guilty of obstruction, said: ” We will be continuing to oppose unwanted parades through our area by whatever peacefull means necessary.” Mr Fennell also said the punishment was unjust. ” All of the appellants here today will be refusing to pay their fines,” he said. ” we are willing to go to jail to demonstrate our opposition to these parades through our area.”

Last December a total of 25 men and one woman were found guilty of staging an illegal sit-down protest on the Crumlin Road. Identification evidence was held to be strong enough to convict them. The charges were defended with residents and campaigners claiming they were involved in a peaceful sit-down protest which did not breach a Parades Commission determination. Those who appealed were Mr Fennell; John Darragh (32 ) of Mountforde Gardens; William Catney ( 53 ) from Springfield Park; Robert Jackson ( 48 ) of Kenard Avenue; Paul Carson ( 47 ) from Highbury Gardens; Alan Lundy ( 33 ) from Rosehead; Aiden Ferguson ( 31 ) of Highbury Gardens; Daniel Lundy ( 31 ) of Russell Place – all in Belfast.

Their lawyers argued the road was already blocked before the protest began. Judge Rodgers rejected this submission and a further contention that the blockage was caused by Police diversion signs. He stressed the appellants were not deprived of their right to protest under the European Convention of Human Rights. Upholding the convictions, he said: ” They could have applied to the Parades Commission for permission to protest and done so legitimately and subject to any restrictions placed on them. ” Alternatively, they could have carried out an unregulated parade which did not involve blocking the highway and preventing its legitimate use,” he said. He also dismissed the appeals against resisting police, declaring that officers acted lawfully in clearing the roadway.

WITH MANY THANKS TO : IRISH NEWS.

Related articles

• Date and venue set for round 2 (sluggerotoole.com)
• Loyalist band organisers slam route ruling by parades body (belfasttelegraph.co.uk)
• Commission hears concerns over Armagh band parade (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)
• Parading & the Lessons for Conciliatory Strategies (sluggerotoole.com)
• Charity Boxing Nite in Aid of Seán Mac Diaramada Society, Ardoyne (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)

Support Ardoyne Residents’ Right to Peacefully Oppose Loyal Order Parades

On the 12th July 2010 Ardoyne Residents and their supporters took part in a peaceful sitdown protest in order to prevent the Orange Order from once again trampling on their right to live free from sectarian intimidation and sectarian harassment, a right enshrined in legislation including the Good Friday Agreement, by marching through Ardoyne. This was permitted by the discredited Parades Commission and facilitated by the PSNI and British Army. The protest was purely peaceful and the protestors were exercising their right to peaceful protest under the European Convention on Human Rights. This method of protest has been successful in the past in a number of other communities where Loyal Orders have attempted to assert their dominance over Catholic/Nationalist/Republican residents. Most of those on the protest where physically assaulted and trailed from the road by heavily armed PSNI officers.

Following on from the Peaceful Protest almost 40 people have since been charged with “Illegal obstruction of a Legal Procession” and will their trial will begin on Monday 31st October. This is in stark contrast to the attitude of the PSNI and PPS when it came to illegal loyalist blockades of Twaddell/Woodvale and Crumlin Road at Hesketh Road prior to the Residents’ protest on 12th July 2010, the UVF led blockade of Asda to have a sectarian killer reinstated to work there after harassing Catholic members of staff, the blockade of Twaddell/Woodvale and Crumlin Road on the night prior to the Tour of the North in June 2011 and of course their blockades on the 11th and 12th of July 2011. We have also yet to see any prosecutions of Loyal Order members and followers who continually insist on breaking the conditions set upon them when the Parades Commission makes the shambolic decision to permit them to march through Ardoyne. These include exceeding the number of followers, playing music, unauthorised banners, bannerettes in remembrance of sectarian killers who murdered members of our community and the display of paramilitary flags and emblems.

In response to this we would like to invite all those who disagree with the decision by the PSNI and PPS to prosecute Peaceful Protestors and Residents of Ardoyne to attend a Rally and Protest in Support of those on trial at 9.30am on Monday 31st October, in advance of their trial starting that morning. This will again be a Peaceful Protest and all those with an interest in defending the rights of people to live free from sectarian harassment and intimidation are welcome.

by Stephen Murney on Wednesday, 26 October 2011 at 17:28