Unionists must ‘stand firm’ – Bryson

LOYALIST activist, Jamie Bryson, said it was time to “right the wrongs of the past 25 years” during a speech at a controversial Tyrone bonfire on Saturday night.

Bryson addressed a large crowd at Moygashel after the bonfire was set alight, with an Irish Tricolour and picture of Leo Varadkar burned. The incident has been condemned by polticians on both sides of the political divide, with West Tyrone MLA, Daniel McCrossan describing it as an act of “disgusting hate.”

He said, “Burning flags or effigies of politicians with differing aspirations is not in any way acceptable.”

Fine Gael politician Charles Flanagan also hit out at the burning of the Irish flag.

“Burning the National flag of a friendly neighbour and its head of government is gratuitously offensive & unacceptable,” he posted online. “Such naked sectarianism has no place on the challenging path to peace, stability & reconciliation & must be condemned by all democrats.”

DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson said the incident was “wrong” and “disrespectful”.

Jamie Bryson used his platform on Saturday night to rage against the Northern Ireland Protocol and the Irish Sea border.

Just days before the July 12 celebrations, he also referenced longstanding restrictions on Orange parades at Garvaghy and in Belfast as “unfinished business.”

He said, “Those who say that the cultural injustices inflicted on our community over the past decades are over – are wrong. If that were to be so, then that would mean that the cultural subjugation is settled and accepted. It is not, and must never be.”

“And so it is obvious to point out that Drumcree, the Crumlin Road and every other restriction on our fundamental cultural rights is unfinished business. It is time to refocus our efforts to right the wrongs of the past 25 years, not to sit idly by and accept them as being settled issues.

“And so too must we never accept, tolerate or implement the subjugation of the Union brought about by the Protocol and the Windsor Framework embedding it.”

Bryson also called on all unionists to stay commited to the cause and “stand firm.”

“I trust no self-respecting unionist is considering turning or displaying weakness at this crucial time. If they are, they will be U-turning alone because I am absolutely convinced that the critical mass of unionist/loyalist community will never turn on this issue, will never surrender.”

“For 25 years it has been an ethos that unionism must give, and nationalism must get. It’s time to say enough is enough,” he concluded, “it is time to right some wrongs, and that requires unionism and loyalism to stand firm.”