Watch: Sandy Row loyalists speak their mind on Northern Ireland protocol

This week the Loyalist Communities Council, a body which includes representatives of paramilitaries, issued a letter to the Prime Minister withdrawing their support for the 1998 Agreement while calling for unionists to peacefully oppose the protocol.

Chief Constable Simon Byrne called it a political move and said he did not believe loyalists wanted a return to violence.

But tensions remain high. This week sinister graffiti appeared on Sandy Row with a veiled threat against Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove.

The messages included his name and an address above the words: "We don't forget, we don't forgive".

Speaking to Sandy Row residents yesterday, the majority said they did not believe the protocol would impact their daily lives while others said it had undeniably raised tensions.

Jacqueline Launchbury (61) was born and raised in Sandy Row before living in South Africa and England and returning to Belfast eight years ago.

Having lived through The Troubles, she said she wasn't convinced that an escalating threat from loyalists was likely.

Instead her main concern was being able to bring her dog Lily on holiday.

"It affects me as a dog owner, if I want to go for a holiday in England I have to get her vaccinated. So the protocol does not cover animals," she said.

Referring to the LCC letter, she said: "Politically, I prefer to leave all those type of things in the past. I was a child of The Troubles and I don't think it does well to start bringing up paramilitaries.

"As for the Brexit thing, I don't think a border down the Irish Sea was a great idea. My only memory of a border is when I was younger and had my passport checked on the way to Dublin.

"Now I think Northern Ireland's stuck in the middle, the EU already flexed their muscles with Article 16. So personally, I think Northern Ireland is going to be used in all this.

"I voted for Brexit and to leave, but what I didn't vote for was this half in and half out."

Another man in his sixties, who did not want to give his name, said the current tensions could not be ignored.

"Protestant working class people believe that this is separating us further from the rest of the United Kingdom," he said

"We're being isolated. I didn't go to university but I'm not stupid, even I see that down the line we're going to be so tied up economically with the Republic of Ireland and Europe. What happens if they switch it off?"

He added: "The thing about all the notices (about Brexit) you see up on the walls in Sandy Row, that's not orchestrated. That's wee lads' feelings."

Backing the LCC's decision to withdraw support for the Good Friday Agreement, he said: "As far as I'm concerned you can take the Good Friday Agreement and shove it."

Richard Lee (48) agreed that the protocol had caused anger in the community but his main concern was the impact on businesses.

"It's not something I'm too worried about. But I know the haulage company that supplies our company had serious problems as they had 50 or 60 trailers tied up in Dublin with paperwork. So I think it already has raised tensions and Stormont hasn't a clue."

Belfast Telegraph