A NEW protest group formed from representatives of flag protestors, have said they are prepared to step up their actions, which could include protests outside the homes of politicians.
They say they want a return to direct rule, and for the Union flag to be flown from every council building in Northern Ireland.
Here is the full statement from the People’s Forum, released after their meeting in Newtownards on Thursday night.
Representatives of the Ulster People’s Forum met tonight in Newtownards to discuss the growing frustrations felt by many grass roots Protestants across Northern Ireland.
At the well attended meeting, people from all six counties agreed a definitive set of aims and objectives to create a mechanism to drive the current protests forward into 2013.
Among a host of other demands the Ulster People’s Forum called for:
1: A return to direct rule because of the failing of our political representatives.
2: The Union Flag to be flown from every Council building across Northern Ireland.
3: Police Service of Northern Ireland to refrain from the physical abuse of peaceful protestors and to stop the present political policing.
4: An immediate end to appeasing the anti British nationalist socialist agenda by the persistent undermining of Protestant Unionist Loyalist culture, heritage and traditions.
Although the Ulster People’s Forum seeks a genuine solution to the current problems highlighted by the flag protestors and others, it was clearly demonstrated that many Protestants feel that nationalist socialist Sinn Fein has acted outside the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement and therefore the Ulster People’s Forum in their demand for equality and parity of esteem have stated they intend to increase the protests across the Province, to include protests outside political offices and if necessary homes of politicians and others, and will no longer be prepared to stand by and allow peaceful demonstrations to be attacked by PSNI or nationalists.
A new committee has also been established to produce a long term strategic protest plan which will give clear guidance to local communities about working collaboratively to ensure future protests are coordinated to create maximum impact and show Stormont and Westminster that the Protestant people have said, “Enough is enough!”
