HAVE they no torch lights in Markethill? On a cold Friday night marching with the brethren surely they would have given a great and fitting glow to the pageant of anti-Protocol unionism gathered in large numbers.
Most of us not of an Orange Order persuasion awoke on Saturday morning to social media scenes of the East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson being booed off the stage. With the eerie ghost of the UUP office behind the stage, as Sammy got up to speak about the need for unionist unity in the face of the “Irish Sea border”, Sammy was subjected to taunts of “traitor”, “Lundy”, “disgrace” and “Away back to Sinn Féin”. Such was the ire of the crowd, Jim Allister had to jump in and appeal for calm. It is always hard to tell when Mr Allister is smiling, laughing or snarling, so his tone was too enigmatic to discern. But suffice to say Mr Wilson has not been so lost or exposed since the day he lost his boxers in a field in France.
More footage of Sammy Wilson DUP MP getting booed and jeered at Markethill…if this is anything to go by they are in for a rough election! Notable that Donaldson who app cancelled last min would have likely had an even worse reception over latest ‘betrayal’ of communities 😬 pic.twitter.com/FLieZIqmY2
— Carla Lang (@CarlaLangNI) February 19, 2022
The organisers of the event were at pains to ignore the divisions and promote the hardy nature of the attendees who came out in pretty desperate weather. One attendee compared his endurance to those sons of Ulster who marched towards the Somme. While undoubtedly the snowy scenes and the emotion of marching in winter instead of July created mist in Orange eyes, it was a regrettable comparison when so many see their fate under the Protocol as being a lot more fortunate given the economic benefits and continued investment in the future of latter-day sons and daughters. A bit more paperwork in Larne is no machine-gunned no-man’s land; well, not while the sun is shining anyway.
And as for the Taedy Toons Committee of Markethill, this talk of trenches has undoubtedly begun the penning of a robust counter-description to TripAdvisor as we speak. “Come to Markethill, home of Ulster Resistance and Sammy’s Last (ish) Stand.”
One does have to wonder about snow and the extreme unionist gander, though. Paisley couldn’t resist snowballing the late Seán Lemass, and when the Good Friday Agreement was signed as snow fell the DUP were howling at the hand of history outside. Some of us prefer a nice hot drink and to wonder at the beauty of transformed landscapes, but hey!
And while it is easy to scoff, very easy, we have to be concerned. Concerned that the TUV is out DUPing the DUP, while the DUP search for a landing place for their lack of strategy in the face of changing constitutional certainties.
The march in Markethill was not about the talks between Maros Sevcovic and Liz Truss nearly as much as it was about unionism trying to have their own Alamo moment.
Those who thrive on fear promoting feelings of fear. Except, in the cold, and warm, light of day no-one is out to get anybody. Everyone else wants to build a safe, peaceful and respectful future where our peace agreements and identities are secure, and where we discuss our future as friends and neighbours.
It might suit some to pretend that British citizens living here are in a trench, but the opposite is the case. And the only trench rats are those promoting division and hate.
