Jim Allister lecturing Catholic residents about law and order while using the deeply troubling language of “sanitising” Garvaghy Road. Jim is a perfect example of an individual who loves to pontificate about catholics, the IRA and SF on the daily, quoting law and order. Jim, you forget, everyone has a past Let’s remember some of Jim’s past, this photograph from 1984. Allister alongside Peter Robinson and William McCrea in Israel. Just two years later, while Jim was still in the DUP, senior DUP figures helped establish Ulster Resistance. In November 1986, Jim organised the rally inaugurating Ulster Resistance’s Ballymena battalion. He marched alongside Peter Robinson and Alan Wright, leading loyalists, men were masked and wearing paramilitary-style uniforms, to Ballymena Town Hall, where Ian Paisley appeared wearing an Ulster Resistance beret. Jim publicly pledged his personal support to the organisation In 1987, that organisation was involved in importing South African weapons that ended up with the UVF and UDA. As journalist Amanda Ferguson brilliantly documented in The Irish Times in 2019, VZ58 rifles from that shipment were used to murder at least 70 people, including victims of the Sean Graham bookmakers, Greysteel and Loughinisland massacres. Google Amanda Fergusons piece in the Irish times. These are not allegations invented by political opponents. They are documented historical events. Nobody is accusing Jim of personally of importing weapons. But he was associated with a political party whose senior leadership, Including him helped establish Ulster Resistance, which in turn was the biggest haul of weapons loyalist ever had. Given that history, perhaps Jim might explain his understanding of law, order and accountability before demanding that Catholic residents be removed from Garvaghy Road. Catholics are equal citizens, Jim. They have the right to object to an unwanted parade, to have their concerns heard and to live without intimidation. The days when unionist politicians “with pasts” could simply disregard Catholic communities are over, And they are not something to be “sanitised” away.