@  `."System- "SystemglLOye-"System--@Times New Roman--- 42 q`cBelfast Riots in July 1920         2 q7c  @Times New Roman---@Times New Roman--------- 42 `cBackground and Consequences       ---  2 ]c  @Times New Roman---@Times New Roman--------------- z2 `JcThe immediate causes were the shooting of Colonel Smyth in Cork on July 17                    --- 2 cth---  2 c  --------- O2 `-c(he was from Banbridge, Co. Down) and the ten            12 csions arising from the 12      --- 2 cth---  2 c  2 cJuly     }2 `Lc(fanned by Carson). There was also the recent local elections in which the                     2 `Mcunionists were perceived as being the major losers thus heightening unionist                    @Times New Roman------ 2 `cfears.  ---  2 c  --- h2 3`>cThe longer term causes were fears about job losses among Prote            2 3Wcstant    2 I`cworkers.    2 Ic   2 Ic  n2 IBcParkinson notes that unemployment was 26% in Belfast at this time                   "2 ^`cdue to the post      2 ^c- "2 ^cwar depression.     2 ^Lc   2 ^Qc  R2 ^V/cProtestant workers felt they were taking their           --------- #2 t`cown jobs back.      2 tc  R2 t/cAccording to the official history of the BAs 5              --- 2 oYcth---  2 tbc  2 tg cDivision     %2 `cThere was great      k2 @cdissatisfaction in the Belfast shipyards owing to the continued                    |2 `Kcemployment there of Catholics from the south of Ireland who had come north                     2 `Qcduring the war to take the place of Ulster men who had enlisted. These last felt                   A2 `$cjustly aggrieved that their place we          O2 g-cre not kept open for them on their return to               ;2 ` ccivil life. (Sheehan (2009), pg       2 Kc  U2 N1c50). It would seem from this statement that the           2 `NcBritish Army were in sympathy or, at least, very understanding of the Ulster                   X2 `3cmen attacking Catholics and rotten Prods, beatin                12 cg them and in some cases       --- "2 `ckilling them.   ---  2 c  --- 2 ;`PcParkinson says there was about 93,000 Catholic workers in the city at this time                     12 Q`c(Parkinson (2004), pgs 33         2 Q.c- S2 Q40c35) and he estimates that around 10,000 workers             g2 f`=cwere expelled including several hundred female textile worker              2 f<cs. 2 fIc   2 fSc  2 fX cHe says that     2 |`Pcmost of the expulsions occurred within the first few days but some intimidation                    t2 `Fcdid occur into the following month and even into early September when                          }2 `LcCatholic workers would be forced out of work for refusing to sign loyalty                      2 `coaths.    2 c   2 c  2 cAlso  t2 Fc, included were about 1,800 Protestant trade unionists and socialists                  F2 `'cwho were also expelled from their work            2 c   2 c  D2 &cthe latter were called rotten Prods           Y2 `4cby the unionist leadership (Parkinson (2004), pgs 35                2 c- 2  c36 & 328).    2 [c   2 `c  2 e cParkinson      ;2 ` cfurther estimates that over the        P2 R.cperiod of the conflict in Belfast (i.e. up to            y2 `Icsummer 1922), over 20,000 Catholics were displaced (Parkinson (2004), pg                   --- 2 (`c62).   2 (c ---  2 (c  --- z2 D`JcParkinson also says that there is little evidence that Unionist Party had                    _2 Y`8corganised expulsion but that the Unionist leaders failed               2 Yc  2 Y cto condemn      2 o`cthem.   2 oc   2 oc  q2 oDcDiscussing the background to the expulsion of Catholics and rotten                   2 `NcProds from their workplaces and the subsequent riots, Parkinson says Whilst                    2 `Ncdirect Unionist Party involvement in the subsequent industrial expulsions was                    2 ` cunlikely, the      2 c  q2 Dcreluctance of its leaders to condemn the blatant intimidation or to                   |2 `Kcintervene in a proactive manner against those responsible unquestionably                    V2 `2cgave them moral support (Parkinson (2020), pgs 27              2 c- /2 c28). McDermott comes to      C2 `%ca similar conclusion There is no sig         A2 }$cnificant evidence that the unionist          "Arial--ccbbaa