Belfast Blaze: Riot, Vehicles Alighted, Plastic Bullets Fired
By Countercurrents.org
04 September, 2012
Countercurrents.org
Belfast experienced riot as public and private vehicles were hijacked and set alight. Police say they fired six plastic baton rounds as nine officers were injured in a second night of sectarian violence.
Henry McDonald, Ireland correspondent of The Guardian reported on September 4, 2012:
The Police Service of Northern Ireland said that it fired six plastic baton rounds as nine officers were injured, with three taken to hospital, in a second night of sectarian violence in north Belfast.
There were unconfirmed reports that at least two loyalist protesters were hit with plastic bullets during what the PSNI described as "serious disorder".
Buses and cars were hijacked and set alight in the Lower Shankill area, where several hundred loyalists were on the streets, many of them attacking PSNI riot squad officers.
The PSNI used blue dye in water cannon fired at the rioters. The paint will be used later to help identify offenders. The Shankill Road was also sealed off and motorists were advised to avoid the area.
Loyalist sources said large numbers of members of the illegal Ulster Volunteer Force gathered in the area from other parts of Belfast to support the Shankill Road loyalists engaged in the violence.
The trouble erupted following a loyalist protest against what they claimed was "heavy handed policing" on Sunday night. Around 100 republicans in the nearby Antrim Road area were kept apart from the loyalists by the police. Some republican youths were reported to have thrown missiles at the police.
The trouble on Sunday lasted almost 10 hours and broke out after a republican flute band and supporters passed Clifton Street Orange Hall. Earlier a 17-year-old youth arrested during the violence on Sunday, when 47 police officers were injured, was charged with riotous assembly, assault on police, assault causing actual bodily harm and resisting arrest.
Sinn Féin claimed that Sunday night's violence was orchestrated by members of the UVF and the Ulster Defence Association, two loyalist terror groups who are meant to be observing a ceasefire.
The atmosphere in the north inner city of Belfast has been poisoned by this latest upsurge in sectarian violence.
guardian.co.uk reported on September 3, 2012:
In north Belfast with police was attacked with petrol bombs.
The PSNI had to deploy water cannon to quell the trouble.
The violence followed a loyalist protest against the policing of their demonstration on Sunday. The loyalists were protesting against a republican band parade passing by a local Orange Hall.
Around 300 loyalists took part in rioting with a smaller number of republicans penned back by police lines nearby.
At one stage up to 40 petrol bombs were thrown at police, the majority from loyalist lines.
Loyalists rained petrol bombs, golf balls, bricks and stones on police lines. Riot squad officers fought running battles with republicans.
The police used water cannons to try to quell the violence, which subsided at about 2am.
Sinn Féin said on Sunday night that loyalists almost killed a family, including five children, after a Catholic home near the peace line in west Belfast was bombarded with petrol bombs.
On Sept. 2, 2012 guardian.co.uk said:
Twenty-six police officers were injured in the rioting in north Belfast.
At one stage riot police had to simultaneously repel attacks from both sides. At least three officers were taken to hospital. There were also unconfirmed reports of baton rounds being fired.
As well as missiles and Molotov cocktails, the loyalists drove burning wheelie bins against police lines. Police used water cannon to counter the threat from the blazing bins. It appeared that all the police casualties were due to loyalist violence.
Motorists were advised to avoid the Carlisle Circus/Antrim Road area last night.
A heavy security presence remained in the area overnight, with a police helicopter hovering overhead and dozens of heavily armed officers on the streets.
The area around the church has become the latest battleground in the Ulster loyalist marching dispute.
The latest sectarian disorder coincided with the 18th anniversary of the weekend the IRA declared a ceasefire.
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