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The article discusses the Irish political party Sinn Féin within the context of the centennial of the 1916 Easter Rebellion in Dublin, Ireland, Sinn Féin's policy on austerity, an election in Northern Ireland and the Troubles of Northern Ireland from the late 1960s through 1998. An overview of Belfast, Northern Ireland politics, including the image of Irish independence leader James Connolly on building facades in the city, is provided.

The article describes how the police force in Belfast, Northern Ireland is trying to increase the number of Catholics it employs. In 2000 the Democratic Unionist Party and the nationalist Sinn Fein party agreed to increase the number of Catholics on the police force to 50%. Today the number of Catholics is 20%, and is on track to be 30% by 2010.

The article reports on a loyalist protest held outside the City Hall of Belfast, England on December 3, 2012. Alliance Party Member of Parliament Naomi Long expressed her party's support to position of Sinn Fein and the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) regarding the flying of the Union flag over the city hall. Estimates show the losses to the local economy and the cost of the protests. Factors indicate the shift in power at Belfast City Council and the alleged failure of democracy.

The article reports that, in response to pressure to co-operate with police over the murder of a Catholic allegedly committed by some of its members, the IRA told the man's family that it was prepared to shoot the people directly involved in the killing of Robert McCartney, but the family had said no. This extraordinary blunder comes at a bad time for Sinn Fein, the IRA's political wing, for America's attention will shortly be on the organisation. Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein's leader, is due to fly there next week, and so are McCartney's sisters, who, along with McCartney's partner Bridgeen, are invited to the White House. Adams is not. Until last December, negotiations for restoring Northern Ireland's assembly were going well. But the robbery of the Northern Bank in Belfast, widely believed to have been carried out by the IRA, suggests that the organisation plans to retain its position as Northern Ireland's biggest organised crime operation. A man has been arrested for McCartney's murder, but the victim's family are still not convinced that they will get the justice they seek. Identifying suspects is not the problem: the difficulty is getting evidence against them, when everybody is so scared of the IRA.

Focuses on the social condition in Belfast in Northern Ireland. Incidents of violence before the Sinn Fein government in early December 1999; Multinational business firms that have invested in Belfast; Issue on national security.