Violence in Northern Ireland for 3rd day over flag

[maggiethecatiii (deleted)]

More violence, this time all proddy.

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"...Saturday's flare-up followed a tense Friday night in Belfast when nine police officers were injured and 18 rioters arrested during rioting. Police said that more than 30 petrol bombs were thrown at officers, along with ball bearings, fireworks and bricks as they responded to clashes in Protestant sections of the city.

Similar clashes on Thursday saw 10 police injured in east Belfast.

The controversy has also seen death threats made against politicians."



"If you aren't outraged, you aren't paying attention."

[maggiethecatiii (deleted)]

Ongoing (and it's not even 'parade season' yet!) riots in Belfast.

It's the UVF - protestant paramilitary group:

Northern Irish militants seen hijacking flag protests

"...Police had said that members of pro-British militant groups helped to orchestrate and had taken part in the first wave of violence in early December. The Police Federation for Northern Ireland (PFNI) said the recent attacks showed this was now clearly the case.

"What it quite clearly demonstrates is the fact that paramilitaries have hijacked this flags protest issue and they have now turned their guns on the police," federation chairman Terry Spence told BBC radio.

"It is very clear that there are leading members of the UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force) who are exploiting this and are organising and orchestrating this violence against police officers who are out there trying to uphold the law and prevent anarchy on our streets."..."

more:

Northern Irish police clash with rioters for fifth night

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"If you aren't outraged, you aren't paying attention."

[maggiethecatiii (deleted)]

Violent Proddies took a night off:

Northern Ireland enjoys rare night of calm as riots abate

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"...However, more protests are planned this week.

The flag is set to be raised on only 16 more days this year and community workers warned that more efforts may be needed to ease the tensions, which have led rioters as young as 11 to pelt police with petrol bombs and fireworks.

"I think there are two things that might stop it: Someone loses their life or gets seriously injured, or those kids actually get bored of it and police tactics get refined," said Mark Houston, director of the East Belfast Mission group, which is working with protesters to try to quell the unrest.

"Those two things are negative ways of it stopping. A more positive way would be alternative means of their grievances being heard. The danger of that is it could take a few weeks or a few months to emerge."..."