new blog address

i've had a few problems with blogger with people not being able to comment and not being able to see posts so i have moved my blog over to http://dgmagee.wordpress.com - see you there :-)

some thoughts on the protests (part 1) - what is going on?

I've split my thoughts on the protests into two categories: This post (part 1) will ask the question, 'what is going on?' Part 2 (to come) will address 'why?'  But, for now, I want to think about what is actually happening. We know that since December 3rd there have been multiple, sustained protests against the decision to stop flying the Union flag at Belfast City Hall 365 days a year. The majority of these protests have been nonviolent but, as we've become accustomed to in our part of the world, a minority who use violence have grabbed most of the headlines.

It seems clear these protests are motivated by a multitude of factors (which I will try to outline in part 2). But, firstly, who is behind them and why?  I should make clear at this point that this is only my opinion but it would appear to me there are four elements at work in the protests and they all have different agendas:

Firstly, and by far the biggest group, are the progressive elements within Loyalism. They have made it clear they may be pissed off at the flag vote, but they are determined to use any influence they have to keep things nonviolent. They have called for restraint and unarmed resistance.  They deserve great credit for this. In this group I would include the UPRG, the PUP, and others.  This group are, generally speaking, fully supportive of the peace process.

The second element involved are anti-Good Friday Agreement and anti-peace process Unionists. These are the old-school traditional Unionist types who are now represented by the TUV. If they had their way, the Northern Ireland Assembly would be abolished and there would be a return to direct rule from Britain.

The third group are autonomous elements within Loyalism who don't respect the mainstream leadership and don't care for keeping it nonviolent. Their identity is still informed by a conflict mentality. We can conclude from the mixed messages from the PSNI about paramilitary involvement that they are acting without the support of the paramilitary leadership.

The fourth and smallest group are right-wing extremists (BNP types) who are trying to hijack the protests to build support for their own agenda. Mainstream leaders will be too smart to associate with them as they know they will discredit their campaign but that doesn't seem to have stopped them trying.

Like I said, this is just my opinion.  I may not have described it accurately or I may have missed something important.  Let me know if you think I have.  

Understanding Loyalism

     
I have a few thoughts on the protests going on at the moment which I'd like to post, but, first, I thought it would be useful to say something about Loyalism itself.  There is a lot of misunderstanding around loyalism and generalisations made about it which can be very unhelpful. I think one of the main problems is that when the media talk about Loyalism, they speak about it like it's one thing; it's not. Finding a definition for loyalism is problematic.
Loyalism is generally understood by many people as a militant off-shoot of unionism which is rooted in working and low-class communities. However, this is an over-simplification. It is difficult to locate a central core to loyalism outside of an allegiance to the union and the preservation of the state of Northern Ireland.  Historically, Loyalism has been too fractured and splintered to build a sustained, coherent political voice. Within Loyalism there exists a broad spectrum of political voices. These include progressive, regressive, militant, socialist, right-wing, liberal, and conservative; each contributing to their own nuanced brands of loyalist identity. The tradition of militarism within Loyalism was not distinct from the progressive elements. Some of Loyalism's most progressive thinkers were also militarists. For example, Gusty Spence and John McMichael were both militarists who championed progressive thinking within the UVF and UDA, respectively. In addition, there are those who identify as Loyalists who reject totally the tradition of militarism. It also contains a range of religious outlooks, including the ultra-fundamentalist protestantism of British Israelites, elements of the Orange Order, and even outspoken atheism. All these variations contribute to a myriad of outlooks within the wider family of Loyalism which makes it impossible to locate a definitive version or a universally accepted nucleus.

a welcome note

Welcome to my blog.  I've set this up for a number of reasons.  Firstly, although i love twitter, lately I have become a little frustrated with its limitations (i also post there as @dgmagee) as a medium for articulating myself and engaging with people.  Secondly, I'd like a place to be able to comment publicly on current affairs that doesn't take over my facebook page and end up with friends of mine who don't know each other falling out.  Thirdly, I'd like a space to share some of the research I've been doing for my phd on loyalism and masculinities and invite comment and debate around some of the issues it raises.  Finally, I don't want this to be an academic blog but one that is reflective on real-life issues and ultimately is useful in a 'rubber-hits-the-road' kind of way.