RESIDENTS in south Belfast "went above and beyond to demonstrate there was zero desire for flags" in the mixed area, a councillor has said.
The Union flags were removed on Thursday, less than 24 hours after they had been hung from lamp posts at the Four Winds roundabout. It is not known who took them down.
Political representatives had told of how they were inundated with calls by residents who were left "shocked and saddened" by the appearance of the flags for the first time in around a decade.
But Sinn Féin councillor Ryan Carlin said he was "glad to see yesterday’s issue with flags in the Four Winds dealt with swiftly".
"Residents went above and beyond to demonstrate there was zero desire for flags in this area, which only seek to create division and fuel sectarianism," he wrote on social media.
"I have always worked tirelessly against flags of all sorts in shared space and welcome the voices of others who join me in publicly condemning these displays."
Alliance councillor Michelle Guy also said: "I sincerely hope they stay down. Honesty, I have never experienced a response like it to any issue.
"Our community really stepped up to affirm how much they cherish that this is a genuinely shared neighbourhood."
