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Newry City Councillor Killian Feehan has hit out at the decision by Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon Council to light their Civic Buildings up blue and white in support of Israel and has called for Newry, Mourne and Down District Council buildings to be lit up white in solidarity with all innocent victims.
Councillor Feehan said: “I’m extremely disappointed at the decision by Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon Council to beam blue and white onto their buildings in support of a country that has sent tens of thousands of innocent civilians to their graves.
“Along with my SDLP colleagues, I am pushing for Newry Mourne and Down District Council to light our buildings up white, the colour of peace, to stand in dignified solidarity with all innocent victims.
“If anyone deserves our support, it’s the women who have been bombed out of maternity wards and forced to give birth in the streets, the children blown to pieces in front of their parents, the families in makeshift shelters petrified out of their wits and huddled together, so that if they die, then at least they will all die together.
“Everyone on this island should know well enough to be standing firmly on the side of peace. That’s why the SDLP has pushed for our local Council to do the right thing and light our buildings up white – because we stand for the right of every human being to live in peace and dignity, irrespective of what passport they hold. And so should our public bodies.”
Newry & Armagh MLA Justin McNulty has also slammed the decision. Mr McNulty said: “Every right thinking person has been horrified by the violence and mayhem which has claimed more than 20,000 innocent lives in the past 2 months. But now ABC Council are using ratepayers money to project imagery onto buildings funded by the ratepayer in solidarity with the country who is responsible for over 90% of civilian deaths. I find this decision to be shameful.
“By lighting up its Civic Buildings in support of Israel, ABC Council has projected to the outside world that local people support the actions of Israel in sending tens of thousands of civilians to their graves. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The Israeli government have refused to listen to pleas for humanitarian support and for peace - they have turned off food, water, fuel and energy supplies. What innocent people they do not kill with bombs and missiles, they are starving to death, or allowing to perish through disease.
“If the council wanted to meaningfully stand shoulder to shoulder with innocent victims, then they would have lit their buildings up white, the colour of peace, and all Councillors would have issued a united call for peace. They should have, but they didn’t. Instead, certain Councillors forced this decision through against fierce opposition.
“I stand for the right of every human being to life and dignity, irrespective of what passport they hold. And so should our public bodies.”
