The hand-painted UVF Scottish Brigade mural (see Boab Kerr) in Beechfield Street/Tower Street has been replaced by this new printed board. The plaque to Kerr has been retained, but four names have been added – David Totten, Brian Milligan, Billy Inglis, and Jim Holt, who is now the most prominent. Holt died in February 2021 (ACT Fb).
Ed Hicks was in Belfast in early March, 2023, to extend the mural in College St Mews (seen previously in Cool) and to repair part of the mural that had been damaged by a fire in one of the wheelie-bins. As before, this new section combines technical drawings with various creatures and sundry items.
If you know anything about the characters or references, please comment or get in touch. The info plaque in the street (seen in Cool) mentions baker and philanthropist Bernard Hughes, but the central portrait does not seem to be of him.
At the same time, Ed also contributed a piece to the Women’s Work jam in College Court (see We Built This).
Long-time Palestinian activist and former spokesperson for Islamic Jihad Khader Adnan died on May 2nd, at the age of 45, after 87 days on hunger strike in Ramla prison, in central Israel (Al Jazeera).
This was Adnan’s fifth time on hunger strike. In 2017, he spent 58 days on hunger strike and in 2015, 56 days. The strike in 2011-2012 lasted 66 days, during which time a mural was painted just to left of the mural shown here, featuring Adnan and Hanna Shalabi; they, along with many other prisoners, were on hunger strike to protest the “administrative detention” (imprisonment without trial) of more than 300 Palestinians – see Administrative Detention. Earlier, shorter, strikes took place in 2002 and in 2000, when he was imprisoned by the Palestinian National Authority for directing a protest against Lionel Jospin, then French Prime Minister (Gulf News).
According to Amnesty International, there are currently more than 1,000 Palestinians being held on ‘administrative detention’ (Amnesty).
As can be seen from the in-progress shots below, Rısteard Ó Murchú painted Latuff’s cartoon, with Latuff looking on.
“100% less hate”, says street artist FGB (ig), ruthlessly taking over a site of Hallion’s Covid-era graffiti (see Inspiring Belfast | Between The Lines | It Hasn’t Gone Away You Know). Will an east-Belfast turf-war result? Or will both parties just move to the Vault’s new digs down-town (and in the Shankill)?
The mural’s design was previously a paste-up and a sticker (seen in a 2019 post) and a print (ig).