The Orange Walk

[Rev Scapegoat]

See, now you're descending into attempting to take the piss out of my interests.

Notably, you still fail to answer my questions.

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
Now, I know that if I said "If I started a Star Wars march and it disrupted your day, would you be happy?" you'd reply "Yeah, I wouldn't mind."

1. Bollocks you wouldn't.
2. Not the point. The Orange Walk, no matter what it's official purpose is, is inarguably a large attractor of violent and verbally abusive hangers-on and has a number of sympathisers for these people within the march itself.
The police are forced to turn a blind eye to offenses such as public consumption of alcohol simply because so many people turn up to watch the march and get pissed... And many of those people, once pissed, start fights or just intimidate people.

Bearing in mind all of the aforementioned harm caused either directly or indirectly by the march, can you give me a good reason, that does not include the phrases "Because we can." "Why should we?" or "We disapprove of the troublemakers, and they're nothing to do with us." why marches should not take place somewhere other than busy shopping streets or residential areas where folk don't want to be bothered?

The hangers-on would simply not be there if not for the march - Certainly not in such great numbers in such a small area, and most certainly not able to drink so openly on the street without fear of police intervention.
That much is undeniable - So let me hear your explanations, please.

Without further resorting to further childish attempts at amusing insults.

[Warlord]

I used Star Wars as an example, I'm a fan of it aswell. I'm sure there are people that hate Star Wars and all things geeky.

If you are so concerned about the consumption of booze at marches, complain to the police directly. I've seen many bottles/cans emptied. And never seen fights. Same, contact Olympia House and say.

[djtoast]

Originally Posted by Warlord

Skapey, anyone can march on the Queens road, or councils. You could even start a Star Wars one.

Would you be happy for the KKK to march past your house?

Militant Islamists calling for the beheading of westerners?

Paedophiles seeking to lower the age of consent to six?

I don't think all groups can necessarily expect a right to march if they're likely to cause civil unrest. the orange marches demonstrably do just that.

[¡Punk!]

If there was a muslim extremists march I'd SO join in.

[TheFallenAngel]

I will start off by saying that I am not biased to either side and although being a catholic(by default) however not a practicing one. I don't really believe in any religion to be totally honest and I am not a football fan so this I believe gives me the ability to remove myself and obtain a better perception of the situation.

I don't really care for walks on both sides, I find the whole thing rather pointless. Fair enough the right to march is one thing but I find its just an excuse to get together and promote bigotry and bitterness. I find the catholic walk to be a somewhat more peaceful affair but nevertheless both are used and abused by football fans as an excuse to get together and have a drunken affair promoting their "beliefs".

Deep down I believe the real message (if there ever was one) of the marches has long been diluted and now is more involved with which football team they support.

Its more became "ok so I support team x" so therefore I have to know this, sing this and do that for to be a real fan. For the most part I find that the protestants are the most bitter out the lot and that it is basically drummed into them from infancy. Which I find completely sad and a terrifying step in the wrong direction for the future. It is not as though they are taught about their religion they are for the most part taught entirely different things; an actual bitter hatred for catholicism being the major player.

I have a friend who played snare and flute in an orange band and some of the things I have heard him say are truly disgusting in regard to catholics and things in general.

This is where you say "hey you would say that yer a catholic" and this is where i reiterate that I am in NO way interested in either religion and I am simply expressing my unbiased views.

The celtic fans are as bad at times however with the rebel songs and all that other malarky but I certainly don't know any who were brought up with such an inbred sense of hatred. You may think I am being contradictory on what I mentioned my stance to be but it is in now way contradictory at all. I get pissed off myself with all the rebel songs and all the IRA crap from generations of "irish" people who deep down only have a perverted truth of events that in complete honesty comes yet again down to being a Celtic fan. The same goes for Rangers fans.

I personally couldn't give a frack about the past exploits of long gone generations. Whats done is done. Fair enough, its terrible what the British done to the Irish but then again it was terrible what they done to about everyone other civilisation in the name of Queen & Country. They should look to the future and realise that there is no hope of moving on without putting it behind them.

Religion is something I don't think is something I will ever truly understand and quite possibly something that I will probably never be very interested in. 99.9% of all conflicts in history have no doubt been in the name of religion so I can't really understand how it is a good thing. Sure its an ideal, a bunch of instructions of how to live your life that is in no way a bad thing but when it becomes perverted and ripped out of context thats the downside.

Murdered in the name of god, should never be an excuse.

Started going off point a bit so im gonna end it here.

[Warlord]

Haha, there obviously is some common sense in who can march.

[McClernon]

Originally Posted by UncleDave

I dunno if you guys live in a different town from me, but in Glasgow orange walks of any real size are NEVER peaceful. You are absolutely 100% guaranteed that at least one, and probably a lot more than one, person is going to be involved in violence, and much as I hate stereotyping every time I see it, its a buckie bottle to the napper.

rikki karbon was based like me in the ibrox area its fucking shocking some of the pish round here when the march is on

[djtoast]

Originally Posted by Warlord

Haha, there obviously is some common sense in who can march.

Well... but I'm sure many people find the orange order marching past their house, with neds tagging along singing the sash, every bit as offensive as the other examples.

[¡Punk!]

I'd say there's no real difference, in my experiences, with the level of bitterness between protestants and catholics (see rangers fans and celtic fans). I think when someone sings The Soldier's Song they can often be singing it with the same hatred and bile as someone singing The Billy Boys although there is an obvious diference lyrically.

[Warlord]

In all the marches I've been to, I've never seen any trouble or fights starting. That's coming from Juvenile marches to Adult marches. Sash is now a folk song so it's OK to sing it now

[TheFallenAngel]

Originally Posted by Warlord

Far as I know, in my whole family, dad, granddad, great granddad it's always been the same. Just be proud of who you are.

This is one of the points that I was making about being drummed into from an early age...

[Warlord]

Nah it wasn't. Only my dads side and my mum let me grow up with an open mind.

[Rev Scapegoat]

No it's not and you know it.

It's inflammatory to "the other side" and it's invariably sung at them to try to get a reaction.

You're not much more than a gang of kids spoiling for a fight, and taunting the other boys because you know they're unlikely to do too much to you when the police are watching.

That's about all an Orange Walk, or any other non-protest march is.
Taunting.
And if you've never seen any trouble, you've not been looking. Or possibly, you smirk a cheeky wee smirk, and ignore the wee things that intimidate and annoy so many other folk.

Your smiley there says it all.
That arrogant attitude of "Ha ha. We can do what we like now, it's allowed!"

And you STIIILLLL haven't given us a good reason why your celebrations can't take place where they're not going to disrupt the lives of an entire City-Centre full of folk who wish you would just fuck off, and take your minions with you.

The drinking, too?
Yes, we could complain to the cops - But those people are YOUR responsibility too. You're back to brushing them off again.

Here, I'll make it dead easy.

Click "Quote" and delete everything this side of the asterisk:

*

I think that we should keep marching through the streets, instead of in a controlled venue where we know that everyone there supports us and that we're having no adverse affect on anyone's day, because

[Noizy Rab]

can anyone say "brainwashed masses"?

i feel sorry for anyone who seemingly can't think for themselves or can't see what's wrong with something because they're too close to it, and why must all the "hangers on" play the "glesga hard man" routine with anyone who doesn't conform? do they actually think they're hard? "ah'm fae glesga so ah must be a pyoor hardnut, look it mah bucky boatle"

some will say i'm prejudiced but i despise all organised religion equally as i see it as a control structure* (the power hungry ruling over the weak willed masses), get your fucking shite out of my face, what do you think would happen if i were to start a "fuck your god" march?

* with the exception of buddhism, given it's much more introverted nature

[Semprini]

Originally Posted by endless psych

doing their best "Gazza" impressions.

I'd hate to be their wife that day.

Originally Posted by djtoast

But I'd say we have a law covering breach of the peace - wearing a T-Shirt shouldn't be banned, being agressive if someone comments on it maybe should...

They won't lift you for a breach, they'll get you under 'behaviour likely to cause a breach of the peace' (i.e. their catch-all offence)