British Militarism is still alive in Belfast

First came two British soldiers, decked out in desert battle dress and leading a pair of large Irish Wolfhounds.
Behind them strutted the first contingent of soldiers from the (British) Irish Guards. Left right, left right, they marched with their chests puffed out pompously.

Next came the military band in their ‘Royal Irish’ green dress uniforms, blasting out the odious protestant hymn "Onward Christian Soldiers", the one Winston Churchill was so fond of.
That was of course an attempt to hide this display of naked militarism behind a religious fig leaf.

Not that it mattered, as the strains of the hymn were all but drowned out by bellicose screaming of hundreds of 'loyalists' who crammed into Belfast's Fisherwick Place. Their jeering was directed at the families of nationalists, gunned down by British forces.
These decent Irish people stood not more than 30 metres away, protesting against the British Army’s pompous march of triumphalism, which was in fact a march of shame.

This happened five days ago, on Sunday, November 2nd, in the centre of Belfast. It was the long advertised and hyped-up 'homecoming parade' for the (British) Irish Guards and the Royal Irish Regiment, who have bloodied their hands in Iraq and Afghanistan. Over all the excitement in the USA it was almost overlooked by most of the media.

If the actions of the PSNI, the British Army, the 'loyalist' mobs and the unionist politicians who were in Belfast city centre last weekend say anything, then it is to tell nationalists and all decent Irish people that the struggle for justice and equality has a long way to go.

Belfast is still an occupied city in the grip of a cruel and bellicose army. The only difference is that they now prefer to kill Iraqis and Afghans instead of Irish people.