physical force

Belfast’s Bloody Sunday

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“Belfast’s Bloody Sunday. On the 9th July 1972 the British Army murdered 5 Irish citizens and severely wounded 2 others. It’s time for the truth.”

This is a mural by Mo Chara Kelly (with DD Walker, Michael Kelly, and Ta Heath) commemorating the deaths of five people shot by British Army snipers in 1972: Paddy Butler (39), David McCafferty (15), Margaret Gargan (13), John Dougal (16), Fr Noel Fitzpatrick (40). The snipers fired from JP Corry’s timber yard (shown on the right) and at the time the Westrock bungalows were still standing (shown lower left).

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Copyright © 2014 Peter Moloney
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Welcome To LVF-Land

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The fairy-tale covering painted over an LVF “North Belfast Rat Pack” mural is fading away to reveal the previous work. For the original LVF mural, see D01199.

The graffiti on the wall – Welcome to LVF Land – has itself been scored out, and there is also a piece of anti-LVF graffiti in the street.

Ballysillan Avenue, north Belfast

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Copyright © 2014 Peter Moloney
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Rhythm Of Time

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“Dedicated to all republican prisoners past and present.” Bobby Sands’s poem The Rhythm Of Time, published in 1981 as part of Prison Poems, is printed in full along with images of Long Kesh and other prisons in which republican prisoners were held.

The tarp was launched 2014-08-10, to coincide with the anniversary of the introduction of interment in 1971 (see e.g. this BBC news report).

Ardoyne Avenue, north Belfast

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Copyright © 2014 Peter Moloney
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Leila Khaled

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Palestinian icon Leila Khaled, who took part in aeroplane hijackings in 1969 and 1970, is featured in this new mural pro-Gaza mural in Hugo Street. The central portrait is a replication of a famous photo by Eddie Adams (WP), taken after her first skyjacking; she then underwent plastic surgery to disguise her identity prior to the 1970 attempt (WP).

Khaled is also featured in the pro-Gaza mural in McQuillan Street: Oppression Breeds Resistance

This mural replaces the right-hand side of Think Independently, Vote Independently.

On the left is an éirígí stencil calling for “Acht Na Gaeılge Anoıs!!!” – “An Irish Language Act Now!!!” The Belfast Telegraph reports that an Irish language bill will be published in the near future, though the DUP have already rejected such an Act. (For more background and discussion see Brian Walker’s post on Slugger.)

In the middle remains JFTC2.

Hugo Street, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2014 Peter Moloney
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I Have The Spirit Of Freedom

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Four deaths have been added to the memorial plaque in St James’s Road, west Belfast, which commemorates locals from the area who died at the hands of the police and army.

The plaque dates back to (at least) 1986, and originally named Rooney (civilian), Liggett (IRA), Waterson, McDonald (civilian), McGrady (civilian), Larmour (civilian), Burns (IRA), and Brady (SF).

To these have been added McAllister (civilian), Devine (civilian), O’Dwyer (civilian), and Burns (IRA).

See also: The area’s main memorial garden also includes O’Callaghan (d. 1977 IRA) and Lenaghan (d. 1991 civilian). Next to it is a mural to Liggett And Brady.

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Copyright © 2014 Peter Moloney
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Oppression Breeds Resistance

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“Oppression breeds resistance”, in the form of Leila Khaled and an IRA gunman, and a clenched fist in the colours of the Palestinian flag. This is a new pro-Gaza mural in the middle Falls with Irish “Tıocfaıdh ár lá” [our day will come] and Arabic “يومنا قادم” [our day is coming] (and in the shields “Saoırse” and “حرية”[freedom]).

The artist is DD Walker (“Rebel Rebel”), who painted the Blood Of An Irish Rebel Che Guevara mural last (2013) October which this replaces.

McQuillan Street, Falls Road, Belfast.

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Copyright © 2014 Peter Moloney
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Donegall Pass UVF

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“South Belfast Ulster Volunteer Force 2nd battalion, A company, Donegall Pass.” The flag of England (St. George’s Cross) is in one corner and in the other is an orange star with “1912” written below, the year the Ulster Volunteers were founded. The colour-scheme is the reverse of the Orange Order’s: its flag has the purple star of the Williamites on an orange field.

Seen previously in 2005.

Pine Street, south Belfast.

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Copyright © 2014 Peter Moloney
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