BELFAST IS to host a civic reception for British troops returning to Northern Ireland after deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The plans are opposed by Sinn Féin and SDLP councillors. Sinn Féin Lord Mayor Tom Hartley said he would not be attending a special commemoration in St Anne’s Cathedral in the city in early November.
“What you saw in the run-up to the war, not just in Belfast, Derry and Armagh, but also in London, [was] many hundreds of thousands of people opposed to the war. Armies cannot escape their responsibilities in relation to their actions and so I stand against the intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan.” The Lord Mayor’s office said it would be represented.
City councillors voted to ratify an earlier decision to honour returning soldiers but with unionists voting for and nationalists voting against.
The Alliance Party, which holds the balance of power on the council, voted in favour.
DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds said: “I am delighted that Belfast City Council has agreed to civic hospitality on the occasion of the special event for our troops and servicemen who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
Criticising the nationalist stance, he said: “It’s a great pity that nationalists couldn’t bring themselves to support what is not a political event, but is something which is simply giving thanks and praise to God for their safe return.” Sinn Féin’s Paul Maskey said the decision meant the council effectively endorsed the conflict in the Middle East.
“I think it’s a very poor decision, and what this has also done is create a division within this city,” he told BBC Northern Ireland.
“We in Belfast City Council have worked very hard over recent years to bring all communities together, and what this has done is send out all the wrong messages.”
Republicans opposed to Sinn Féin’s stance on policing and sharing office at Stormont with the DUP have vowed to actively oppose the plans to honour returning troops.