Derry's Protestants feel alienated and fearful - survey
Protestants living in Derry feel increasingly alienated and fearful about the future, research claimed today.
Academics uncovered a tale of two cities and found evidence of increased segregation in the Waterside area.
But the report also found Protestants were more likely to enter nationalist areas than they were a decade ago and experienced no problems working in Catholic workplaces.
Dr Pete Shirlow, of the University of Ulster, said: “There are obvious improvements, but they tend to be countered by deep-seated anxieties about the future of a minority population that, in many ways, feels besieged.
“The situation, experienced by Protestants within the city, is better in some ways but the future remains uncertain.”
Researchers found Protestants felt uncomfortable in Guildhall Square, Waterloo Place and Foyle Street.
They also felt uneasy in the presence of republican symbols, especially in the City Cemetery.
The report identified a widespread perception among Protestants that Derry City Council worked to a nationalist agenda and that unionist neighbourhoods were relatively underdeveloped.
Respondents outlined fears of a political and cultural decline within the Protestant community, which makes up 19% of the city’s population.
Dr Shirlow, a lecturer in human geography, said: “Many of the study’s more contentious concerns were discovered around questions relating to issues of political and cultural identity.
“The more serious and negative emotions revealed are based upon forms of resource competition, a sense of territorial loss and a perception of a cultural voice remaining unheard.”
The report found 72% of Protestants felt their community was in population decline, 75% felt it was in cultural decline and 80% felt it was in political decline.
More than half – 56% – disagreed that Derry City Council actively supported all cultural identities, while 71% believed it had not done enough to quell unionist fears.
Insecurity was reflected in the finding that Protestants felt safer in predominately Protestant areas.
Just over half believed their community did not want to share space with the nationalist community while two thirds felt Catholics wanted them to move out of the city.
Anxiety was expressed about school uniforms and certain bus routes being used to identify individuals as Protestants.
Despite the concerns, the study found Protestants were happy to shop and socialise in the Cityside, notably the Foyleside, Richmond Centre and the Diamond areas.
The vast majority of interviewees said that was not the case prior to the 1994 IRA ceasefire.
Researchers also found 83% of respondents had never been treated unfairly in a shop or business because of their religion, while 61% worked within predominately Catholic workplaces.
The report was compiled by Dr Shirlow, Professor Brian Graham and Professor Gillian Robinson of the University of Ulster and Dr Brendan Murtagh of Queen’s University, Belfast.
It included analysis of census data and a survey of 399 Protestant households.
