We English love Guy Fawkes. What you on about? Let people have their fun!

Guy Fawkes night is on the 5th.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleventh_Night

A possible confusion here is MYD vs YMD both bonfire nights having an 11 in them. And I did say guy fawkes night as a comparator to July 11, both have roots in anti catholic fervour.

You go right ahead and blow your fingers off. (Terry Pratchett's footnote about being allowed to light one firework carefully from 15 feet away with a long stick comes to mind)

Historically the Catholic church and Cathloc monarchs did make claims and undertook actions that threatened the security and freedom of Protestants, and the Irish Republic made claims over the North that Protestants saw as a threat, so the bonfires and parades with their positive self assertion can be understood in this context.

That said, I think we can all condemn oblique hatred of the other side, and that's very much present in both sides.

When was the last time a Catholic monarch threatened Northern Ireland? And How many divisions has the Pope?

The key word was ‘historically’, when relating to the likes of James or Bloody Mary. Lots of people feel deeply connected to their history and struggle, why should Northern Protestants be deprived of theirs?

The Pope had something more powerful than divisions: words and authority over his flock. Back in the day that commanded more loyalty than to monarch.

But in recent times, the source of the violence was the IRA and other Republican groups.

and the phrase "violently opposed by Ulster loyalists" never once was uttered during the time of the troubles?

Nor indeed the sentence "The police, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), were overwhelmingly Protestant and known for sectarianism and police brutality.?

Pretty sure it takes two side to keep that shit up for three decades and more.

( Both extracts sourced from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Troubles )

I’d just ask that external observers try to understand the Protestant and Unionist side too. They are often maligned in a simplistic ‘good vs evil’ narrative. You’d be surprised by their hospitality and industry.

I’’d never deny that there was brutality and violence from both sides, any ethno-religious conflict with long roots in the past is going to have this problem.

Targeting of civilians is wrong, and it always happens in these conflicts, which is why we should strive to avoid them. Targeting of combatants and mingling the categories to give cover, well that’s something else completely. It puts the authorities in a tricky situation where the right choices aren’t obvious.