| Comment | Let's say I started my own organisation, with no hatred, bigotry or controversy. Let's say it celebrates the glorious history of the Tunnocks Caramel Wafer. We can all get behind that. We have banners, we play tunes all dedicated to the wafer. No negativity, though, we're open to all, if you prefer a chocolate digestive - sorry, a half-coated - then you can join us too. Anyone of any biscuit-based joy is welcome.
Let's say we then approach the council and demand the right to close streets and parade in our hundreds down them every weekend for 6 months of the year, culminating in a fortnight where we're parading nearly every day, with a final day where we take over half the streets of the city centre, and Police Scotland has to provide all the security.
The council would, rightly, tell us to get fucked, probably give us licence for one day at most and charge us for the policing.
Why, then, are these guys, who **are** divisive, sectarian and marching for hate, allowed to do that? Nobody else is. It's a false equivalence to say we're being tolerant of the marches when the reality is we're giving them a massive leeway to do things nobody else is at all free to do in the same manner.
The Orange Folk should get their one day a year and that's it. |
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