LOYALIST activist Jamie Bryson has been widely criticised after he tweeted a picture of a bonfire with a huge Irish tricolour and praised the "good family atmosphere".
Mr Bryson posted the picture of Saturday night's bonfire at East End in Newtownards, adding: "Well done lads, good family atmosphere. Huge bonfire!"
In response, one tweeter said: "Burning flags is generally not an event with a good family atmosphere ....for the vast majority of a modern society" while Belfast SDLP councillor Séamas de Faoite described it as "beyond depressing".
Another tweeter said it was teaching kids "bigotry and hate", adding: "How about this, you can burn the bonfires without other people's flags/emblems and still enjoy the event."
One post pointed out the symbolism of the tricolour, saying: "Imagine witnessing the burning of a flag whose literal meaning is peace between Catholics and Protestants, nationalists and unionists, saying 'well done' and calling it a 'good family atmosphere'."
Another post said it was a "shame" the event had been "ruined by an act of naked sectarianism", adding it was giving unionism a "bad name".
