DUP use attacks on Catholics to score political points

MakeEmLaugh

I am no fan of Sinn Féin. However, in the last couple of hours, the DUP's Youtube channel has uploaded a video (17 seconds in total - no risk of anything being taken out of context there) in which Sinn Féin MLA Alex Maskey says that

"We haven't heard people throwing petrol bombs in the Short Strand. What we're hearing tonight is people from the Short Strand throwing stones back [at loyalist rioters] and if they are, they're defending their homes."

The clip is taken from last night's UTV Live. Maskey appeared this morning on Stephen Nolan's BBC Radio Ulster show, in which he said

"What I was saying very clearly – and I make no apology about it – was that if my home was coming under attack... I would defend my home... I don’t want that life to be inflicted on anybody, no matter what part of the city or the country that they come from – whether they’re from the Short Strand, Strand Walk or Pitt Park or anywhere else... I do not want to see one single attack on any home, or any police officer or any resident whatsoever from any community... I want to make it very clear: anyone from the Short Strand who would be considering attacking another person’s home wouldn’t be doing it in the name of the people of the Short Strand."

Despite this, the DUP went ahead an uploaded the video with a provocative title. People often accuse Sinn Féin - quite rightly - of 'whataboutery' i.e. bringing up the bad behaviour of others to distract from your own side's bad behaviour. Yet surely this is whataboutery from the DUP.

The Short Strand, as everyone knows, is mostly Catholic. The DUP uploading this video, while not addressing their own complicity in the riling up of loyalists, borders on anti-Catholic sectarianism.

nordydan

The DUP's behaviour over the last few weeks has been nothing short of disgraceful

OCorcrain