Audio interview with Christopher Stalford (DUP Laganbank councillor on Belfast City Council), Maire Hendron (Alliance Party Pottinger councillor on Belfast City Council) and Máirtín Ó Muilleoir(Sinn Fein Balmoral councillor on Belfast City Council) by Stephen Nolan for BBC Radio Ulster The Nolan Show on 3 December 2012. Later that evening Belfast City Council voted to only fly the Union flag above City Hall on designated days rather than the entire calendar year. The motion was supported by Sinn Fein, the SDLP and the Alliance Party. This decision led to public protests by sections of the unionist community across Northern Ireland, but particularly in Belfast, during December 2012 and early January 2013. In some areas PSNI members were attacked and death threats were sent to Northern Ireland politicians. Two DUP members were also warned of death threats, apparently from dissident republicans, during this period. The interviewees discuss the significance of the flag issue in advance of the council vote. The Nolan Show is a daily current affairs programme on BBC Radio Ulster.
Date of Release/Broadcast: 3 December 2012
Name of First Interviewee: Christopher Stalford
Name of Second Interviewee: Maire Hendron
Name of Third Interviewee: Máirtín Ó Muilleoir
Role at time of Interview: Christopher Stalford (DUP Laganbank councillor on Belfast City Council), Maire Hendron (Alliance Party Pottinger councillor on Belfast City Council) and Máirtín Ó Muilleoir (Sinn Fein Balmoral councillor on Belfast City Council)
Interviewer: Stephen Nolan
Purpose: News
Media: Audio
Copyright: BBC © 2012
Link: Listen to the interview
Programme/Book/Article: BBC Radio Ulster The Nolan Show
Time Period covered: 2012
Key Individuals: Christopher Stalford, Maire Hendron, Máirtín Ó Muilleoir
Key Words: Flag, UUP, protest, Sinn Fein, DUP, SDLP, Alliance Party, Equality Commission, commemoration, economy