By Robert Skates
SDLP Lagan Valley MLA Pat Catney has condemned the erection of confederate flags in the Lisburn area.
He said a number of residents had contacted him to complain that the flag which represented American 'slavery' had been erected in the area.
“What kind of message does this send to people from around the world who have chosen to make Lisburn their home? This is a direct insult to those who have come here to live and work as part of our local community.
“Are we to say that the politics of racism and slavery are acceptable in Lisburn in 2017? Every right thinking person in our community will reject this.
"Every political representative should be explicit in their condemnation of this racist act.
“I will be contacting the PSNI to ask them to remove these flags immediately. This is clearly a hate crime and should be treated as such.
“My door will always be open to those of the many diverse backgrounds who make up our local community in Lisburn. They should not be intimidated by the erection of these flags.”
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