"No" toleration shown to Protestant band in Cross community festival

The organisers of Northern Ireland's longest established cross-community festival have apologised after members of a predominantly Protestant accordion band were taunted with tricolours and jeers during a carnival parade.

The Portaferry Gala Committee has taken the unusual step of issuing the statement, after sectarian abuse was directed at Portaferry Accordion Band as it led the closing float parade through the predominantly nationalist village.

A group carrying tricolours followed the band, blowing whistles and shouting abuse.

DUP Assembly member for the area, Jim Shannon, said children as young as six, and female members of the band, had been left traumatised by the incident. "It was outright intimidation, not just of band members but also of the Protestant population that remains in Portaferry. It seems to me, taken with other incidents, to be part of a campaign of ethnic cleansing in the Upper Ards," said Mr Shannon. "One of the band members told me they had never experienced such hatred in the band's history."

In its statement, the gala committee blamed 'louts' and apologised for the incident. The organisers said they hoped it would not put off full participation in future years. "Such behaviour is not representative of Portaferry," the organises said.

Taken from the Sunday Life 29th July 2001

Once again the nationalist community show their hatred of anything to do with Protestantism in Northern Ireland as these nationalist thugs terrorise children as young as six years of age. This is unfortunately is now a very common occurrence in Northern Ireland. The nationalists and republicans make a big deal of cross community events and of toleration but again the nationalists have shown their true colours to the outside world, as they cannot even tolerate the presence of a Protestant girls accordion band.

The truth of the matter is Protestants are not welcomed in their own country of Northern Ireland. So much for toleration, respect of anothers traditional and parity of esteem by the bigoted nationalist community who at every opportunity try to ethnic cleanse areas of Northern Ireland from being inhabited by Protestants. This is why the west of the Bann is so 'green' because of a sustain campaign of ethnic cleansing against the local Protestant community. Even in this so call time of peace the IRA still target and intimidate Protestants particularly in the Tyrone area. No wonder it is "green" west of the Bann.