Scuffles between Protestants and Catholics in Belfast
Culture flash: There are two main opposed parties in Ulster:
- Unionists: they want Ulster to stay in the UK, their voters are mainly Protestants because the UK is a protestant country.
- Nationalists: they want Ulster to leave the UK, and to join Ireland. Their voters are mainly Catholics because Ireland is a catholic country.
Since early January, violent demonstrations took place in Ulster, especially in Belfast. Indeed, Monday January the 3rd, the municipal council decided that the Union Jack wouldn’t be raised on Belfast’s city hall anymore (they are mainly nationalists). The unionists reacted and started to demonstrate, and about a hundred of demonstrators, attacked some policemen. A few days later, nationalists demonstrated against unionists because they didn’t want the Union Jack to come back. Violent scuffles happened between the two parties, and many policemen were hurt because they tried to calm down the demonstrators. Finally, 102 policemen have been hurt and 96 violent demonstrators arrested.
Demonstrations against and for the abortion
Because Ireland is a very catholic country, Sean Brady, head of the Irish Church, exhorted his members to demonstrate against the abortion Wednesday December the 26th. Indeed, the Irish government was going to vote a conditional legal abortion because of the death of a young pregnant woman, who asked many times for an abortion in an Irish hospital: a lot of pros and cons demonstrated against and for the abortion. This topic was forbidden in Ireland, and it’s the last country in the European Union where abortion isn’t allowed, excepted if the mother’s life is considered to be in danger.
Ch.Combelles & V.de Cremoux
1) What is the main aim of the Nationalist Ulster political party?
2) Are the protestants mainly Unionist or Nationalist? Why?
3) Excepted in Ireland, in how many European countries is abortion forbidden?
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