It is with both astonishment and anger that Vanguardbears hear of a proposal from North Lanarkshire Council to fly the Southern Irish tricolour over its council offices on the 24th of April 2016 to commemorate the failed Irish Republican Easter uprising right here on British soil.
The request from pro-Republican IRA terror group, Cairde na hÉireann, to fly a flag that history states was not borne into inception until 1921, is nothing but sinister anti-British propaganda. As recently as 11th September 2015 this group had its main office in Glasgow raided and members charged under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act.
NLC should be very careful and aware of the anger currently sweeping Scotland, after an SNP-led pact swung this vote to an 8-6 majority in favour of the flag to be flown in the UK. At a time when Britain, indeed most of Europe and their fellow countrymen were dying in the trenches halting the German jackboot, these rebellious cowards staged their rising - yet elected councillors in Scotland want to commemorate it! The flag that was prevalent and flew over Dublin on the day of that cowardly attack was the Union flag, so if NLC are to consider raising any flag then it should be the Union Flag.
Vanguardbears will oppose this action by NLC in the strongest manner available to us and within the realms of the law, but if this proposal gets passed by higher authority, the 24th April will see a gathering like no other to vehemently oppose this despicable action by councillors who are clearly sinisterly motivated by sanctioning it.
We will defend our rights and traditions as citizens of the United Kingdom, unlike the current Scottish Government who seem hell-bent in eradicating it.
No Surrender.