Roy Beggs: “I britannici saranno inorriditi per gli uomini a volto coperto avvolti nella Union Jack”

‘British citizens horrified to see masked men wrapped in Union Jacks’ – Beggs

British citizens from elsewhere will have been horrified by the scenes from Carrick and other parts of Northern Ireland in the past week, East Antrim UUP MLA Roy Beggs has claimed.

In an “unequivocal condemnation” of the attack on the Alliance Party’s West Street office and threats against a number of politicians, the former Knockagh Councillor said the way to influence the debate over flags was through the ballot box.

Mr Beggs said: “I support the right of peaceful protest in a democratic society. However, care must be taken that any legal protest is not used as cover for others with another, violent agenda – as evidenced by those who attacked the Alliance Party offices of Stewart Dickson MLA.

“Attacks on people and property are totally unjustifiable. The use of violence and intimidation are criminal acts. They are detracting from the issue of securing our British identity. British citizens from elsewhere will be horrified to see masked men wrapped in Union Jacks being involved in violence and attacking and injuring police officers.”

“The way to combat the political agenda of republicans- who are clearly attempting to strip Northern Ireland of all its vestiges of Britishness -is to expose their bigotry and to out vote them. Sinn Fein have supported naming a play park after an IRA terrorist who was linked to a gun used at the sectarian Kingsmills massacre. Yet locally they cry ‘inequality’ over the Crown centrepiece to the Circular Road roundabout, in Larne. What hypocrisy.

“It is a fact that the electoral turnout in areas likes Carrickfergus, Larne and Newtownabbey, which would in theory be strongly Unionist, have fallen to less that 35% turnout in recent years. It is the task of all democrats and democratic parties, not least my own, to engage with the electorate and encourage greater participation in the political process. We must ensure that more people are registered to turn out to vote if we wish to protect our place within the United Kingdom.”