Breathe in...

Ok, so I've calmed down a bit from last night.
I was still pretty pissed off when I woke up this afternoon, but I've settled a little.

I didn't really do much today. I wanted to do some last minute shopping but I couldn't really go out because of all the trouble here.

For those who are unaware, a big bunch of people have started rioting all over Northern Ireland, blockading roads and shit....because a parade was banned walking down a 100Yard stretch of road.

Basically, the people behind the parade are Orange men (Protestants) and the 100yard stretch of road was mainly Catholic so to me, it makes sense that it was diverted.

What DOESN'T make sense is that the loyalists (Protestant) Protest this...by rioting and fighting the police (who were there to watch over them and PROTECT them during their parade) IN THEIR OWN AREAS!

Yes, it's true, they protest the fact that they can't walk down a Catholic area by stealing and setting fire to cars from and in Protestant areas, by attacking the police who were there to protect them from any Catholics who decided to take a pot shot at them and then when it's all over and people start pointing fingers, they blame The Parades commission (The ones who said they couldn't walk down the 100yard of road), The Chief of Police and the Government.

I watched an interview on TV earlier, it started off with the little reporter dude talking to the Head of the Orange order. At first he was pretty much saying that he doesn't condemn anything done by the loyalist people at all, he felt they were perfectly justified in trailing PREGNANT woman from her car then setting fire to it, perfectly justified in fracturing the skull of a 21month old baby...
He said that the police were heavy handed. Heavy handed? Sure, they used water cannons and plastic bullets (designed specifically NOT to kill you if use correctly), what did the rioters use? Petrol bombs, blast bombs and many, many bullets. Who the fuck is being "heavy handed" there?
Then in this interview, some other guy came along (I think he said he was the Brother of Johnny Adair or something), and interrupted it sort of went like this:

Adair: 10mins and it would have all been over!
Orange order man (OOM): That's right, 10mins down that road!
Adair: We had to protest it!
OOM: I don't condemn any orange man, do you know who's fault it is?
Adair: It's the...
OOM: err...
Adair: The erm....the...
OOM: Uhh...the....
Adair: The people....who...er...
OOM: The Commission for erm....
Adair: ahhh....er...the er...
OOM: Parades commission!
Adair: Yes, the Parades commission!

And at this point, I'm almost on the floor in tears with laughter, this was a fine example of the intellect of these people.

Although, on reflection, I'm kinda glad I'm leaving this place.

2 Days