Protests
Each year in Northern Ireland, Irish nationalists and republicans have protested against the flying of Armed Forces Day flags from council buildings. They argue that it dishonours the "hundreds of Irish citizens" killed by the British Army during The Troubles/Operation Banner and is an insult to their families. Republican group Éirígí, who hold a yearly protest march in Belfast, have called the event a "propaganda stunt" motivated by "falling recruitment rates" and "growing disgust at the contemporary wars of conquest". In 2012, the Ministry of Defence asked Belfast City Council to fly the flag from Belfast City Hall for six days. In previous years, the flag had only been flown for one day.
Read more about this topic: Armed Forces Day (United Kingdom)