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Nicole's
Travelogues and Budget Travel Tips..
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BELFAST (CONT.), IRELAND
What I was really looking forward to doing in Belfast is taking one of the Black Taxi Tours. We found a 'Belfast's Famous Black Cab Tours' brochure and called to schedule a tour for the next day. We got a hold of Patrick (07990955227 mobile) who scheduled us for a 11-1:00pm tour. Patrick didn't actually do the tour for us (another Pat did) but he was EXTREMELY helpful with getting a cab driver for us, recommending places to eat, and pretty much anything else we asked of him. I think we called him everyday we were in Northern Ireland with questions. He was so helpful and so cool. Everyone traveling to Belfast should get in touch with him!
Pat told us that this was where Thomas Hughes was killed 1991 by the UVF. Hughes was a Falls Road black taxi driver and was shot after stopping his vehicle at traffic lights at Divis Street. The shooting took place in full view of the sophisticated British Army surveillance center on top of Divis Tower. The inquest revealed that personal details on Hughes contained on British Army intelligence documents were found in a unionist/loyalist area.
Then Pat showed us a plastic bullet (left) which was HUGE! I had no idea how big and how heavy they were. To think that these are not considered 'lethal' weapons is ridiculous! The use of plastic bullets has proved to be one of the most controversial aspects of policing in Northern Ireland.
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History of Plastic Bullet Usage The plastic baton round (PBR) or plastic bullet was introduced into Northern Ireland by the army, in 1973. Its predecessor, the rubber bullet, first used in 1970, which resulted in three deaths and many serious injuries, was withdrawn because the serious injury rates were not considered acceptable. In the late 70s, the police increasingly took over responsibility for the policing of public disorder, and the plastic bullet was introduced for use by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) in 1978. The weapon was used most extensively in 1981 (when 16,656 plastic bullets were fired in the month of May alone): this was the year of the republican hunger-strikes. Prior to that year, the usage had averaged slightly more than two thousand a year, and between 1982 and 1995 the average annual usage dropped to just over a thousand. However, in 1996 the total usage soared again to over 8000 bullets, largely fired over a two week period in July of that year. In 1997, the figure dropped again to approximately 2,500, but as these were virtually all fired in a matter of one week, it is difficult to stick too rigorously to a comparison of annual figures. Although plastic bullets have been used against both nationalists and unionists, there have been persistent allegations of sectarianism in the decisions as to when and how to resort to the use of the lethal weapon. The RUC is predominantly Protestant (93%) and allegations have been regularly made regarding sectarianism by and within the force. Accordingly, grave disquiet is aroused when, in the disturbances of 1996, 662 plastic bullets were discharged in the period between 7 – 11 July (the period of unionist protests), and more than eight times as many (5,340) were fired between 11 – 14 July (the period of nationalist protests).
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Our tour started on Divis Street which used to be the location of the Divis Flats. The Divis Flats were built at the end of the sixties as a reaction to the poor housing quality around the lower falls area. There were no laundry drying facilities and no garbage removal, in a place where almost 3000 families had to live. The people started to organise themselves and pleaded for the immediate demolition of the flats and for decent housing. In 1986 the Housing Executive started with the demolition of single blocks to replace them with smaller, more traditional houses, which again were planned in close cooperation with the security forces. Now all that's left is the Divis Tower where the British Army still occupies the two top floors with their surveillance center watching Catholic West Belfast 24 hours a day. There are posters around the tower calling for the 'Demilitarisation of the Divis'. 
We then passed the Belfast peace wall (below photo) separates the Protestant and Catholic areas of West Belfast. The bottom section of the wall is made of concrete blocks that have been painted white. On top of this is metal sheeting painted green. In some places there is also a metal grill to try to prevent objects from being thrown over the wall. There are many murals on both sides of the wall, and messages of peace scribbled everywhere as well. 
As we were driving in West Belfast, we passed alot of intersections that had gates (right). Pat told us that the gates are usually kept open everyday and then closed at night. However, if there is trouble than the gates are closed without notice and sometimes Catholic residents get stuck in Protestant areas and vice versa. He said that the teenagers get good at hopping the fences at a young age. 
Soon we came to the Shankill Road area. This is a Protestant area and has murals that depict Queen Elizabeth, King William III, and Loyalist Paramilitaries with the Red Hand of Ulster usually clenched in a fist. Pat stopped the taxi and told us we could get out and walk around. Me and Lisa looked at eachother and were like "we're not getting out." But we did and walked over the to freaky mural (pictured above) where the rifle follows you wherever you go. As we were driving through the Protestant areas, we noticed that many of the curbs, lamp posts, and gates were painted red, white, and blue (in support of UK). Maybe because it was Sunday, but it was strange that we hardly saw anyone out and about in the Protestant areas. 
The weapon has been responsible for the 