By Caroline
“It was often a ‘dirty, stinking, little war’ in Northern Ireland”
David Ervine quoted by Billy Hutchinson
The hoax attack of the 25th of March has left many of us shaken. Our thoughts are with the van driver, the mourners at the disrupted funeral, those attending the Hume Foundation event and everyone who has been forced to revisit traumatic memories. Peace Building is done by continuous actions for peace. This includes considering the language we use, ensuring everyone’s voice is heard and working together to create an inclusive society. Violence does not have a role in the process that will secure Northern Ireland’s place in the Union.
The Republic of Ireland is our nearest neighbour, our sister jurisdiction on this island. Exports to Northern Ireland from the RoI are worth €3,305m a year to the southern jurisdiction and they are co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement. We understand and accept that they have an interest in the affairs of Northern Ireland as we have an interest in the affairs of the RoI. Engagement with the government of the RoI should reflect this reality and be solution focused and diplomatic. Any rhetoric which seeks to antagonise or demonise this relationship is unhelpful.
It is being argued that the sea border has been imposed as a response to the threat of republican violence if even so much as a camera went up on the land border. This must not mean that to remove the sea border our response needs to be violent. There is a history of armed republicanism committing acts of violence or making threats of violence in an attempt to goad the Loyalist community into making a misstep. Our response must be guided by our own principles. The Principles of Loyalism will not be achieved by a new generation of Loyalists spending years in prison, by money that could be used to create material wellbeing being diverted into policing and surveillance of our communities, or by bolstering the armed patriarchy.
Violence will not deliver for the Loyalist community. Once violence is introduced to a situation control is lost very rapidly, a solution becomes less achievable, and it creates an opportunity for those who want to represent us as thugs to push for further marginalisation of the Loyalist community. Acts of violence in opposition to the Protocol will reinforce harmful stereotypes about Loyalism and damage the good work being done by many Loyalist community activists to change that negative perception and instill hope and pride in our community. We must oppose the protocol but through exclusively peaceful means.
Diplomatic engagement and continual restating of our position has already delivered some results. This was referenced by Jill Macauley (UUP candidate for South Down) in a recent anti protocol speech in Crossgar where she said ‘The EU position HAS moved. They have realised that there are problems with the Protocol and have moved from the notion of “rigorous implementation” to accepting that changes are needed’. Negotiations are still ongoing, and the Court of Appeal’s judgement could be overturned by the Supreme Court. Many opportunities still exist to peacefully resolve the problems surrounding the Protocol.
Walking away from the devolved institutions and engaging in acts of violence will not remove the Protocol but such actions will damage the Union and condemn a new generation to relive our past. As Loyalists we must protect our community from the trap of violence by confidently pursuing a strategy of peaceful protests, diplomatic engagement, and reasoned persuasion. The devolved institutions are key tools for this work. The Agreement has many flaws, but it was a hard-won peace with loyalists at the forefront of delivering it, taking many risks to do so. We must continue to take risks for peace today.
Sources
PUP leader Billy Hutchinson writes exclusively on how loyalists were ‘betrayed’ by the Belfast Agreement, Billy Hutchinson, Unionist Voice, 2022
Speech by Councillor Jill Macauley to anti-Protocol meeting in Crossgar, Jill Macauley, UUP, 2022
Trade between Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Irish Republic continues to change, William Barns-Graham. The Institute of Export and International Trade, 2022
Withdrawing the First Minister will not bring down the Protocol but it will harm Northern Ireland and the Union, Her Loyal Voice, 2022
Loyalist Feminism: Our Understanding of Loyalism, Feminism and Patriarchy, Her Loyal Voice, 2021
