Debate contribution: Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage

Debate contribution by Ms Kellie Armstrong on 7 September 2026.

MLA: Ms Kellie Armstrong
Party at the time: Alliance Party
Date: 7 September 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Private Members' Business
Heading: Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5670741

Text

I thank Mr Buckley for being so generous. I wish that there were local agreements across my constituency. Unfortunately, someone comes in the dead of night, and, all of a sudden, a number of flags are erected with no community consultation. It is done deliberately to intimidate and offend. I am talking about proscribed organisations and other organisations that are not proscribed in our legislation but are offensive. I refer, for instance, to people who are connected to far-right groups in Norway. There is no community conversation, because the action is done to a community. There is an opportunity now to capture those areas, such as the village of Cloughey in my constituency. I constantly get phone calls from people there saying, "We do not want it here", and those people are Catholics, Protestants, unionists, nationalists and others, like me. They all do not want the flags. Their community conversation is about an integrated village that loves celebrating everyone, but the flags are put up by somebody whom they do not know.

172 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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