Well, we can’t say we haven’t been warned. The Chief Constable of the PSNI Simon Byrne has warned us, as has an even more authoritative voice, that of Jamie Bryson. If Boris’s withdrawal deal goes ahead, maintaining an invisible border in Ireland, there will probably be public disorder and even violence from loyalists.
Jamie was asked – by Stephen Nolan, I think – why loyalists couldn’t or wouldn’t seek to address any grievances through the ballot box. Let them elect representatives and resolve their problems through normal political channels. Jamie replied by comparing potential loyalist demonstrations to the civil rights movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The people resorted to other means than the ballot box to address their concerns then, so why shouldn’t loyalists do the same now?
Jamie, Jamie, Jamie. Your analogy is a false one. The civil rights movement back in the last century was about addressing the political corruption of the previous fifty years, when gerrymander and discrimination meant that nationalists were kept well away from any administrative or legal powers. In addition, it was the local government in Stormont – the Ulster Unionist party – which made sure nationalists were politically castrated.
The situation for loyalism/unionism has not been brought about by nationalists within our stateen: it has been brought about by the Prime Minister of the UK and the votes of the House of Commons. Northern nationalists have had no say in the matter. What’s more, this particular PM is the one who vowed he’d never have a border in the Irish Sea and that he was a tub-thumping, red-blooded unionist. So if loyalists want to demonstrate their discontent at having a good trade deal foisted on them and not on the rest of the UK, they really should take the matter up with Boris.
As to the Chief Constable’s intervention: Simon Byrne is now in exact synch with his prime minister. Just as Boris Johnson is supposed to present himself as a neutral arbiter in events here, not a tub-thumping unionist, so the Chief Constable is supposed to administer the law in an even-handed way, keeping his nose out of politics.
But should we be surprised? The RUC was an unashamedly unionist force, the PSNI is hurrying along the road to a similar branding, and our little stateen is talking about using the same tactics that brought the stateen into being 100 years ago – to wit, defying the will of the British PM and parliament and the hell with democracy.
No wonder so many nationalists/republicans think Stormont is a farce and are increasingly turning their faces to Dublin.
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