Unionists outraged over ‘Brits out’ poster at Sinn Fein freshers’ fair stand
SINN Fein’s youth wing has caused anger after displaying a poster featuring the words ‘Brits out’ at Queen’s University’s freshers’ fair.
Yesterday’s event at Lanyon Lawn and Whitla Hall gave new students at Queen’s the chance to find out about clubs and societies at the university.
Sinn Fein’s stall was adorned with typical party material, including posters of late Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and Free Derry Corner.
But one poster advertising Ogra Sinn Fein featured 1916 Easter Rising leader James Connolly and an image of a group holding up a placard including the words ‘Brits out’.
Among those to attend the stall was the party’s higher education spokeswoman Caoimhe Archibald MLA.
Queen’s Young Unionists’ chair Nathan Redmond said that there was real anger over the sign.
He added: “Sinn Fein are very fond of talking about equality, rights and respect, portraying themselves as the guardians of all that is wholesome and defenders of the Belfast Agreement.
“However, it never takes long until the mask slips and the true nature of Sinn Fein is laid bare for the world to see. So much for a shared future.
“Quite incredibly, this slogan was below a heading claiming Sinn Fein were anti-racist.
“It would appear that for Sinn Fein the slogan ‘Brits Out’ is acceptable language but, as far as we are concerned, it is most certainly not.
“Imagine the perfectly justifiable outcry if a poster had been on display saying ‘Polish out’, ‘Indians out’ or ‘Chinese out’. Why do Sinn Fein think it is acceptable to display public racism towards people who have a British identity? An identity that, it should be remembered, was recognised as perfectly legitimate by the Belfast Agreement itself.”
In response, Sinn Fein said it “will take no lectures from a party which presided over a one-party apartheid state for over 50 years and which used special powers to murder, detain and torture citizens, censored and banned political opposition, attacked peaceful protesters and denied citizens their fundamental rights”.