Post by RedFlag32 on Mar 21, 2007 18:45:15 GMT
Call made to remove INLA monument
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6474153.stm
Derry Cemetery memorial
The memorial features an armed INLA man
The DUP has accused Derry City Council of breaching its own equality
guidelines by allowing an INLA statue to remain in the city cemetery.
It follows last week's ruling by the Equality Commission that Omagh
District Council failed to act over an unauthorised hunger striker
memorial.
Alderman Willie Hay said the council never gave permission for the INLA
memorial to be erected in 2000.
He called for the statue of the armed INLA man to be removed.
"Here's a unique opportunity for the council to revisit the whole issue
again," he said.
"We've all got to remember a graveyard should be a very neutral place for
both communities - every community - to come along and tend loved ones
graves.
"I do not believe that there should be any organisation which uses a
graveyard for their own political ends and that's what happened seven
years ago."
Last week the commission said Omagh District Council breached its own
equality scheme by not acting over an unauthorised republican memorial.
Complaint
It investigated a complaint about the memorial to IRA hunger strikers, on
the Old Dromore Church grounds and graveyard in Dromore.
It said the political nature of the memorial, which included a tricolour,
may mark the area as republican.
The memorial also includes ten trees, one for each hunger striker.
The commission said its high level of visibility may mark the village as
nationalist or republican and may not be conducive to good relations.
The investigation also raised issues concerning the proposed sale of the
land by the council to Dromore Memorial Committee.
Omagh council has now decided that the proposal for sale should be subject
to an equality impact assessment.
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6474153.stm
Derry Cemetery memorial
The memorial features an armed INLA man
The DUP has accused Derry City Council of breaching its own equality
guidelines by allowing an INLA statue to remain in the city cemetery.
It follows last week's ruling by the Equality Commission that Omagh
District Council failed to act over an unauthorised hunger striker
memorial.
Alderman Willie Hay said the council never gave permission for the INLA
memorial to be erected in 2000.
He called for the statue of the armed INLA man to be removed.
"Here's a unique opportunity for the council to revisit the whole issue
again," he said.
"We've all got to remember a graveyard should be a very neutral place for
both communities - every community - to come along and tend loved ones
graves.
"I do not believe that there should be any organisation which uses a
graveyard for their own political ends and that's what happened seven
years ago."
Last week the commission said Omagh District Council breached its own
equality scheme by not acting over an unauthorised republican memorial.
Complaint
It investigated a complaint about the memorial to IRA hunger strikers, on
the Old Dromore Church grounds and graveyard in Dromore.
It said the political nature of the memorial, which included a tricolour,
may mark the area as republican.
The memorial also includes ten trees, one for each hunger striker.
The commission said its high level of visibility may mark the village as
nationalist or republican and may not be conducive to good relations.
The investigation also raised issues concerning the proposed sale of the
land by the council to Dromore Memorial Committee.
Omagh council has now decided that the proposal for sale should be subject
to an equality impact assessment.