Flags were response to Irish language street signs, loyalists warned ‘shaken’ resident

Loyalists erecting flags on a Belfast street where they had not been previously flown says she was told the move was in response to Irish language signs in the area.

That is the claim of a resident who says she was threatened by men who put up union flags and Ulster banners in her street during the summer.

The flags remain flying in Kimberly Street in south Belfast, despite a heralded ‘protocol’ that has seen flags removed from the Ormeau Road, just around the corner.

The resident of Kimberly Street, who wants to remain anonymous, says she and others in the area feel the deal to remove flags from the main road is “tokenistic” while they are forced to have emblems flying in their residential area.

Kimberly Street is among hundreds of streets in Belfast to have dual language signage featuring English and Irish.

The signs were erected this year following a poll of 139 residents.

Belfast City Council documents show 26 occupiers (18.71%) were in favour of new bilingual nameplates, while 11 (7.91%) were not.

Under the council’s policy, updated in 2022, non-responses are no longer considered votes against new signs, and at least 15% of residents are required to back the signage before it is installed.

However, not all streets that meet the 15% threshold will see new signs erected, with the council having a final vote on streets where the threshold is met, but where more residents are saying they are against it.

The Kimberly Street resident told The Irish News how she has lived in the area for around a decade and “can’t remember a flag ever going up”.

She said a few weeks before July 12, she noticed “four stocky men” putting up flags with a ladder in the street.

“They were very assured of their actions,” she said.

“It made me feel intimidated, and others were too, as we chatted about it afterwards. I thought, why is this happening now, is it connected to the race riots?”

The flags were removed soon after, she said, but the relief was short-lived, as on July 11, ahead of unionist Twelfth celebrations, men with ladders were back erecting flags and bunting in Kimberly Street.

“This time I went out and asked them what they were doing,” she explained.

“The response I got was ‘I’m going to do your windows in’.

“I was shaking, but I doubled down and said no-one wants flags in this street. One said ‘this is our country’, and another told me ‘no-one wants Irish language signs either’.

“I told him that there was a council poll and that in fact residents did want an Irish language sign.”

The resident walked away, fearful to return to her house in case she identified which one she lived in.

“I think someone from another house shouted something, because one of the men roared ”see if anyone in the street takes down these flags…”

The shaken resident rang police, but after speaking with them about the confrontation, decided against making a formal report, for fear that police arriving at her house would identify her.

“I’ve since spoken to neighbours, and some told me they came to live in this street because it was an area that didn’t have flags,” she said.

“It’s a mixed community, so I think this was unquestionably marking of territory.”

She said that a consensus among neighbours is that the flags are “unwanted”.

“The fact they can be put up is reflective of a ‘might is right’ attitude,” she added.

“The flags remain up today and it’s just not nice to see that. If this is just the way things are now I’ll honestly have to consider moving.”

The Irish News recently reported on the resumption of a flags ‘protocol’ on the main Ormeau Road that sees unionist banners removed after ‘Ulster Day’ in September, after being flown during marching season.

That deal was originally agreed in 2018, but last year flags, some tattered, remained up along the road throughout the winter.

It was reported this breakdown was due to loyalist frustration over the council’s bilingual signage policy.

Bilingual street signs have been vandalised in the Ormeau area, along with in other parts of the city.

“That deal feels tokenistic, as the Ormeau Road might not have any flags, but a few seconds walk around the corner and they are flying in a street that did not have them before – one where an Irish language sign was erected. How is that fair?” the resident added.

A PSNI spokesperson confirmed a report was received on July 11 about flags being erected in Kimberly Street.

“No complaint was forthcoming however police notified the owning organisation of the street furniture,” they said, referring to the Department for Infrastructure, which has also been approached for comment.