Re: Loyalist icon charged with attempted murder
England conquered Ireland about 800 years ago. England broke away from the Catholic Church, England encourage Protestant immigration to Ireland. A large Protestant population settled in what is now Northern Ireland, becoming a slim majority there, with strong pro-British allegiances.
Most of Ireland was Catholic and after 1916 became anti-British and demanded Irish Independence. The Protestants in Northern Ireland opposed Irish independence.
Like India’s Muslims had a fear of Hindu rule, Protestants feared that that if Ireland became independent then they would be oppressed by the catholic majority.
Like in India, Protestants were the majority in one part of the country and not in another. So Britain partitioned Ireland. The mainly catholic parts became an independent country, and the mainly Protestant part (Northern Ireland) became part of Britain because most of its population wanted to stay with Britain.
Now the Catholics in Northern Ireland were against partition and wanted Ireland to be a united country like it historically was. A minority took up arms to try and force Britain out. As a result, Britain sent in the army and special forces, and the Protestants set up militias to fight the Catholic militia (IRA). Both Irish and Catholic militias targetted each others civilian population as well.
In short, Catholic terrorists fought to push Britain out to unite Ireland. Protestant terrorists fought to keep Northern Ireland as part of Britain because they don’t believe they can be fairly ruled by Catholics. Britain originally sent in the army to crush the Catholic terrorists, but the army was withdrawn as part of a peace deal. in the late 90s.