Easter lily sale decision puts student union in line of fire
By Barry McCaffrey
Irish News
06/11/09
A row has erupted at the University of Ulster in Coleraine after the student union voted to allow the Easter lily to be sold on its premises in addition to the poppy.
The motion was passed on Tuesday with an amendment that any profit from lily sales should be donated to charities working with victims of the Troubles.
However, student union leaders were told later that any attempt to sell Easter lilies on campus could result in disgruntled employees suing the union.
Union president Adrian Kelly defended the Easter lily decision.
“The motion was put forward to try and give equal respect to the poppy and the Easter lily,” he said.
“It was passed after an amendment was agreed that any profits should not go to any political party but instead should go to charities working with victims of the Troubles.
“However, we were then informed by the Equality Commission that any attempt to sell the Easter lily on our property could potentially damage harmonious working relations among staff and could leave us open to being sued.”
Mr Kelly said the issue would be brought back to the students’ governing body to decide whether a ban on the lily would be reintroduced.
“A lot of people will be disappointed because they felt that the decision to donate any profits to charity was a fitting compromise,” he said.
“The issue will now go back to the students’ union and we will just have to see what happens next.”
Ulster Unionist assembly member David McClarty described the decision to let the Easter lily be sold in the student union as “deeply disappointing”.
“It is regrettable that this unfortunate issue has raised its head once again,” he said.
“I believed that in recent years there had been more recognition of the sacrifice made by people from all sections of the community through the wearing of the poppy.
“There can be no equating the poppy, which is an internationally recognised symbol of peace, with the Easter lily.
“It’s entirely unfortunate that people have tried to use a place of learning to promote what is clearly a political message.”
Sinn Fein councillor Billy Leonard said any attempt to ban the lily from the student union set a “dangerous benchmark” for community relations.
“I find this outcome amazing in that it goes to the fundamental of parity of esteem and hence how communities in a divided society accept each other, their histories and emblems that mark parts of those histories,” he said.
'So venceremos, beidh bua againn eigin lá eigin. Sealadaigh abú.'
--Bobby Sands
no good crying now billy boy! you and your party must have seen this comimg when you were selling us out up in stormont . whats next? banning the wearing of the green AGAIN !
Comment by martin dublin — 9/11/2009 @ 11:23 pm