A Belfast councillor has hit out at reports that UDA flags outside a Tesco store and a police station could only be removed after mediators got involved.
Large UDA flags had been spotted outside the Newtownbreda Tesco, considered to be in a mixed housing area, as well as Garnerville Police Station in east Belfast.
The Belfast Telegraph reported that after negotiations, flags were taken down in both areas on Wednesday evening.
A senior loyalist source claimed this happened after negotiations with Bangor Alternatives, a restorative justice organisation who were said to have dealt with both the PSNI and loyalists.
On Thursday morning, many flags still remained outside Garnerville Police Station.
The Alliance councillor Eric Hanvey, representing Lisnasharragh, told The Irish News the problem with paramilitary flags was out of control and relying on mediation was not productive.
“I wasn’t particularly happy at that approach. I do feel that we’re getting to the point for many people, where these illegal flags and emblems should not be allowed on public property,” he said.
“It’s difficult in the sense this problem has been let go for so long. I think it’s something that should have been dealt with years ago.”
Mr Hanvey said he had been in many meetings with the Department for Infrastructure and the PSNI “where the buck is constantly passed”.
“There’s an issue of public safety and whether they should remove the flags or not is raised as well,” he said.
“I know it’s difficult, but we need to make the point that this isn’t allowed and they will be removed.
“If the effort was made by all parties to do that we’d be in a different situation. The legislative responsibility lies with the PSNI.
“They say they can’t ask their staff to do it or act unilaterally. That’s the circle you go round in.”
On the appearance of the UDA flexing their muscles by flying flags in a mixed area and outside a police station, he said: “These things tend to go on with internal turf wars as well within paramilitary organisations.
“I live just off the Ormeau Road and it’s an annual occurrence and deeply frustrating for people that just want to enjoy the street and go about their ordinary lives.
“Everyone recognises that these flags are only about intimidation.”
He said he was also aware of members of the public being threatened with prosecution if they tried to take flags down on their own.
“I know the police are under pressure and stretched, but this is something that needs to be dealt with.
“We can’t carry on as we have. I’m old enough that this is a relatively new phenomenon. It wasn’t there when I was young.
“The flags and bunting would go up for a few weeks around the Twelfth and they were gone again.
“They also tended to go up again in people’s own properties.
“But the nature of it has completely changed again. Particularly the way that paramilitary flags have been mixed in with ludicrous claims that the UVF flags are historical.
“It’s just not good enough.”
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