Protestants pile up bonfires as they prepare for inflammatory celebration of Battle of the Boyne

[dipsydoodle]

Protestants pile up incredible bonfires as they prepare for inflammatory celebration of Battle of the Boyne

Dwarfing houses and trees, these enormous bonfire stacks have completely reshaped Belfast's skyline.

The huge tyre mounds, many of which are more than 100ft tall, have been built as the city nervously prepares for an annual Protestant loyalist celebration.

Hundreds of fires will be set alight at midnight tonight as Protestant loyalists commemorate the Battle of the Boyne.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2359557/Catholic-King-James-defeat-celebrated-huge-Tyre-mountains-Belfast.html

I hope there's something wrong with the perspective in the above picture - don't look too safe to me.

[life long demo]

1. There's nothing "safe" about this yearly "celebration"

It would be comparable to the KKK having an anniversary march through southern towns.

[warrant46]

3. Equating the Orange with the KKK is a bit short sighted NO ?

This goes back to Henry the VIII telling the Pope in Rome to take a hike.

The 2 Flags on the top of the Pile are the Union Jack and the Flag of the St. George's Cross

[Itchinjim]

6. No? No.

Same sort of bigotry, only religious instead of racial.

[PaddyIrishman]

9. Is that the UVF flag you're flying there?

No, it goes back to the family row between James II and his son-in-law William, whose victory was celebrated in the Vatican.

Also, it's not the Flag of St. George, it's the flag of the defunct Stormont Parliament.

If that is the UVF flag, then congratulations, you're flying the flag of one of the few groups of people in the world that make the KKK look good.

[warrant46]

2. Fire Up !!

LOL Now the only thing missing is a photo of the conflagration

[TreasonousBastard]

4. These people are just fucking insane.

[dipsydoodle]

5. Old time fiddle tune, Billy In The Lowground ,refers to William 111.

for anyone into Old American Traditional music - as I am.

Mine of useless info here .

[T_i_B]

7. That's a waste of good shipping pallets.

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. Though not as toxic as tyres

The pictures of the stacks still standing don't seem to have any tyres in, thankfully.

Who would want to set a pile of tyres alight in their own neighbourhood anyway?

[T_i_B]

12. Those pallets should be with a haulier or a distribution warehouse

Burning them is just a massive waste. Just think of what that thing cost simply in terms of buying pallets.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

8. Orangeism isn't what it once was

The Orange lodges don't dominate the Northern Irish state like they once did. The statutory oppression of Roman Catholic as second-class citizens has been removed and an Irish Republican Party sits in coalition government.

The July days are basically a last triumphalist hurrah from a minority of unionist Protestants, having lost legal, social and economic hegemony within the Six Counties. Forced to share privileges in society with the Catholic Irish "other", the ultra-loyalists comfort themselves with a celebrating an irrelevant dynastic battle from three centuries ago.

[LeftishBrit]

11. Great summary!