Four images from around Silverbridge, Co Armagh. First, a vintage “RUC Out” on a traffic sign; second, “No absentee landlord repossessor’s or their agents wanted in south Armagh” (for some background, see No Grabbers Here); third, an anti-Agreement stencil protesting the treatment of republicans in Maghaberry; fourth, “IRA” nail-up on a power-line pole near lower Cashel Lough.
“One race – one love – one world. West Belfast Area Project & Divis Youth Project supported by Belfast City Council.” A wheel of hands from children of different races exhorts residents to overlook differences in skin-tone.
Marty Lyons is shown adding the WARN emblems to an otherwise-completed mural on the International Wall, Divis Street.
On the left, an Irish family in front of a window reading “No Irish need apply” is stereotyped as jagged-toothed, shillelagh-wielding hunch-backs in the style of Punch and other magazines’ portrayal of the Irish. The Punch portrayal is described, and Punch named explicitly, in the song ‘Do Me Justice’ a.k.a. ‘Here I Am From Donegal’. (Lyrics | audio: Frank Harte (full song) | Len Graham (clip).) They also carry a copy of “The Big Begorra” – a play on The Big Issue, a newspaper published on behalf of, and sold by, homeless people. “We’re projections of 19th century anti-Irish prejudice—we’ve never actually existed.”
The treatment of the Irish is used as an anology for the the Roma (WP): “Whereas I, ethnoid steriotypus their creator, have existed since time immemorial. My latest target—the Roma! I hope you’ll swallow all the lies I concoct.”
“Hey—what was the outcome of the harassment of the Roma newspaper sellers?” “The evening edition collapsed!” – this is a reference to the Belfast Telegraph‘s decision to cease printing an evening edition.
In the lower right is the signature of political cartoonist Ian Knox, a.k.a. Blotski (WP) – Marty Lyons and a Short Strand artist were also involved – and date (9 August, 2012 – for Féile 2012 (pictures of the launch).
The Maghaberry/Strip Searches mural did not have a painted poster added to it but (as can be seen in Street View) it did have a placard added to the bottom reading “Justice for Marian Price” – this difference is because this mural is under the control of anti-Agreement republicanism rather than pro-Agreement republicanism/Sınn Féın. (The same placard was also mounted in three places in the barbed wire above the wall – see the final image and the Street View link.)
The Guernica mural was left untouched, perhaps for aesthetic reasons, perhaps because it had outside funding.
“Climate Change Affects Everyone … But Not Equally”. The sands of time are running out: carbon spewing into the atmosphere from factories (on the left) is melting the ice-caps, leaving polar bears without a place to stand (upper hourglass) and flooding Belfast (lower hourglass), and the Statue Of Liberty too.
Room 101 was a torture chamber in the Ministry of Love in George Orwell’s novel 1984. For women, the trials include racism, poverty, violence, injustice, sexism, trafficking. On the front side are posters protesting Marian Price‘s 295 days in isolation.
“Over a third of all children, are growing up in poor households. About 185,000 of households are in poverty, representatin about 502,000 people. Over 148,000 of these are children.” This is in contradiction with the aims of both the Proclamation of Éırí Amach Na Cásca, 1916 – “… cherishing all of the children of the nation equally and oblivious of the differences carefully fostered by an alien government, which have divided a minority from the majority in the past” – and the Democratic Programme of An Chéad Dáıl, 1919 “… to secure that no child shall suffer hunger or cold from lack of food, clothing or shelter, but that all shall be provided with the means and facilities requisite for their proper education and training as citizens of a free and Gaelic Ireland.” The other images are of Béal Feırste 1969, Léana An Dúın 1972, and Na Staılceanna Ocraıs, 1981.
This looks very much like a Rıstead Ó Murchú creation.
“Student Fees – Sınn Féın Manifesto 2011. *Sınn Féın opposed the introduction of student fees and continues to oppose student fees – including any increases. *We will block any attempts to raise the level of cap on student fees when it comes before the Executive.” Early in the year, an increase in fees from 3,500 pounds to 5,750 was suggested (BBC), but in September it was confirmed that they would not increase (BBC), which Sınn Féın here claim as having “Delivered”.
“Local homes for local families – BNP – We support Ann Cooper.” Where “local” is not about geography but ethnicity. Ann Cooper stood (unsuccessfully) in Castlereagh East (in east Belfast) for the British National Party (BBC); the graffiti shown is in Fortuna Street, south Belfast. For another piece of the graffitist’s handiwork, see Slugger.