The Knotted Gun – A Gift To Belfast From The Olsson Family

The sculpture Non-Violence is also known as "The Knotted Gun". It was originally created as a memorial tribute to the legendary singer and songwriter John Lennon, by his friend Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd, after he was shot and killed outside his home in New York City on December 8, 1980.

It is one of the most recognisable symbols of peace and is supported by Global Non-Violence Ambassadors including Yoko Ono, Ringo Starr, Lionel Messi and many others. To date there are Non-Violence sculptures placed at more than 30 strategic locations around the world including Cape Town, Beijing, Berlin, Stockholm and the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Belfast is delighted to be the next city, the only one in the UK to have a permanent Knotted Gun sculpture gifted to it.

The sculpture will be placed at Girdwood Community Hub in Belfast. Girdwood operated as an army barracks during the height of the troubles. After closing in 2005, the site lay abandoned for many years.

In 2016, Girdwood Community Hub, a £20 million investment delivered by Belfast City Council with funding provided by EU's Peace III Programme, Department for Communities and APEX Housing, opened on the site. This 14 acre community, leisure and housing hub is uniting local people and is the site for The Knotted Gun - a true symbol of peace in a once turbulent location.

The Olsson family, Swedish owners of Europe's largest ferry company Stena Line, have donated the sculpture to the City of Belfast and its citizens to commemorate their long-standing relationship with Belfast and their commitment to supporting lasting peace in Northern Ireland.