Visual pollution in towns and cities

A call for the introduction of ‘Clean City’ legislation prohibiting billboard advertising has been made by Gemma Weir, one of the Party’s representatives in North Belfast.

In a letter to Environment Minister Alex Atwood, Gemma has asked what plans the Minister has to remove this visual pollution from local towns and cities.

“Billboard advertising sites has already been tackled successfully by a number of cities worldwide including Sao Paulo in Brazil and Massachusetts and Tacoma in the United States – it is time Northern Ireland followed suit.”, said Gemma

“On one level this is a battle for an end to visual pollutants in the towns, cities and highways of Northern Ireland, but this is also about a battle for the quality and use of our public space, who controls it in whose interests and for whose benefit.

What we are witnessing in Northern Ireland, as has happened in our countries in the world is the increasing privatisation of the public sphere. Less and less of city and town centres and less and less of the countryside is now a shared location”, concluded Gemma.

More…   A billboard and corporate advertising free Northern Ireland

Stirring up tension

Workers Party North Belfast spokesperson Gemma Weir has condemned the violent protests outside Crusaders’ home ground, Seaview, on Saturday as the actions of a small group of people intent on using sport as a means of further stirring up sectarian tension.

 “After concerns were raised by local residents late last year, staff at both Cliftonville and Crusaders engaged with the residents in a series of constructive meetings. This process was so successful that planned protests were called off and residents wrote to the Cliftonville Chairman to thank him for his input into achieving a resolution”. Ms. Weir said:

“But some elements were determined to use the sporting fixture as a means of heightening sectarian tension, come what may”.

 “The Workers Party agrees with Crusaders management that sectarian politics have no part to play in sport. This attempt to ratchet up tension by bringing the ‘flags protest’ into football is reprehensible.” Ms Weir added