Gary Lightbody gets behind Belfast city campaign

Snow Patrol's 'Take Back The City' is being used as part of a campaign to restore peace to the city of Belfast.

People are being urged to use the Twitter #TakeBackTheCity to promote the campaign that has called for the people of Belfast and surrounding areas to go into the city centre and support the bars, restaurants and shops with your custom. Whether that be a meal in a restaurant, a couple of drinks in a bar, or meeting friends for a cup of coffee.

Gary Lightbody is "Very proud our song about Belfast is being used as part of the campaign for peace and sanity."

Belfast has been very much in the media spotlight of late, as Police continue the struggle to control the sectarian clashes linked to the ongoing dispute over the city council's restrictions on flying the union flag.

Businesses in the city are now counting the cost of the violence, with some reporting upwards of a 60% decrease in sales and revenues, while fear looms that the riots could undermine the recent tourism boom, and scare foreign investors away from the city which has worked so hard to shake off its reputation for violence and trouble.

In a statement earlier this week, Nigel Smyth, director of CBI Northern Ireland, a leading business organisation said, "We are already aware of investors who have lost interest in Northern Ireland because of these disruptions." He goes on to add, "There is now a very real risk of job losses."

Stephen Magorrian, managing director of Botanic Inns, who've been trading in the city since 1857, and now own and run 16 outlets across Northern Ireland, is one of the men getting behind the #TakeBackTheCity campaign.

In an open letter on their website Mr. Magorrian urges people to get back into Belfast city centre. "If we don’t support our city centre jobs will be lost. Pubs, restaurants and shops will close. The city centre that we love will become a ghost town. And nobody wants to see that happen."

As a company who currently employ over 600 people in the food and beverage industry, Botanic Inns are feeling the affects of the recent Belfast city riots as much as, if not more than most. Magorrian goes on to plead:

"If we continue to leave our city early, stay at home and only support the city via facebook and twitter, then honestly we’re wasting our time. The city needs YOU in person."

If you're going out in Belfast in the coming weeks or supporting the #TakeTheCityBack campaign then be sure to check out the Hot Press gig guide here on HotPress.com