GOD SAVE BELFAST
HE'S THE ONLY GUY ANYBODY HERE CAN AGREE ON
Photos by Stuart Griffiths

The sign "Bobby Sands 8 Fuck All" is a reference to IRA hunger striker and republican icon Bobby Sands. Loyalists hate him. They really love the Queen.
The Orange Day march attracts all kinds of different uniforms. Some look like the Village People if/when they were into fisting.
A lot of people travel from Glasgow to celebrate the marches.
Doesn't that look like God's dick spraying them and saying, "Peace please!"?
INTERVIEW BY ANDY CAPPER VICE: What's your history with Belfast?
Stuart Griffiths:I was a British soldier there. I came when I was 17 and was a Parachute Regiment soldier in 3 PARA. At first I was kept in the canteen, as I was too young to go on the streets. When I reached 18 I was posted to B Company, 3 PARA. What made you join the Paras?
At the time, there was a TV program called The Paras, and at school there was a big thing about joining up: Join the Marines or the Paras and all that macho bullshit. It looked cool. What was it like in Belfast as a teenage soldier during the Troubles?
We got up about six and went out all day patrolling. It'd be four hours on, two off, and then we'd get food in between. People would shout, "You fucking Brit, shit, scumbag, bastard!" What would you say to them?
Nothing. I took it on the chin. Early on a really fit girl said something nasty to me, but I didn't really mind that. What was the worst abuse you got?
We got shot at. Actually, the worst might have been having shit thrown on us. We had potties emptied from out of windows at us. It took a long time to get rid of the smell. It's not you they hate, though; it's the uniform you wear. That's why I got out, I think. What was it like going back to Belfast?
It was cathartic, an emotional release. It was all about facing my ghosts and demons of the past and exorcising them. In terms of therapy, it was a good thing to do. It was a very moving experience. How did you feel when we were in Ardoyne and the rioting kicked off?
Well, I'd been in riot situations before, but I wasn't expecting that. I was thinking, "What if a brick or a rock falls on my head, because this time I haven't got a helmet on?" But when you're out there trying to get good pictures, it's the photography that takes over. And I guess it showed me how far photography has taken me in my life. As the photographer Patrick Zachmann said, "You photograph your own history. Everything else is tourism." So I took that on board. But yeah, when they started hurling stuff, I thought, "These guys really know how to riot." Yeah, that's what I was thinking: "They're pretty good at this."
It's in their blood. And I don't condemn it. You can see why they're frustrated and angry. There is no work, the economic situation is bad, and the peace process is there but it's gonna take a long time to see results. I saw this little kid, about ten or 12 years old, and he had this massive green bottle, and this other kid was saying, "Go on and throw it!" And the little kid was spitting on the floor trying to be the hard guy, but he couldn't bring himself to throw it. And I really felt for him. When you're in that situation you're expected to go along with the crowd, or else people turn on you. I came away thinking, "Well, this situation is still very much a live wire."
"Did Darren borrow the car today?" "Yes, love. He said he was taking his new girlfriend to the pictures."
Kids a lot smaller and younger than that one were doing the same thing.
Some of us wanted this as a cover but it looked like we'd photoshopped two tweens from Facebook and put them on top of a Pantera album sleeve as an art prank.
They made us amazing cocktails at the bonfire party. You couldn't drink them but you could definitely throw them.
In six months time, some gay fashion magazine will duplicate this shot. We guarantee it.
