Police attacked in sixth night of violence on Northern Irish streets

At least seven police officers have been injured in a sixth night of chaos across Northern Ireland. Petrol bombs were thrown at police, two cars and a bus were hijacked and set alight, and a journalist was assaulted.   

The Northern Ireland Executive has been briefed this morning ahead of a meeting of the Stormont Assembly to discuss the violence.

Boris Johnson said he is “deeply concerned” by the scenes of rioting across Belfast and Derry over the past week. “The way to resolve differences is through dialogue, not violence or criminality,” he added.

In West Belfast last night, BBC’s Ireland correspondent Emma Vardy reported on “gates set alight at the peace line between the Shankill Road and Lanark way interface in North Belfast. Crowds of a few hundred on each side throwing petrol bombs over in both directions.”

For over an hour, fireworks, rocks and more petrol bombs were launched at the peace wall. Vardy reported that a pastor placed himself in front of the gates in harm’s way, “trying to persuade young lads to pack it in and go home. They all greeted him with a friendly “hi father”, then returned to hurling missiles.” 

Clashes with law enforcement also led to police officers being directly attacked and a bus set on fire. Bus services were then suspended in fear of further destruction.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill denounced the violence as “causing huge distress in local communities at this time… Those involved in violence, criminal damage, manipulation of our young people and attacks on the police must stop”.

The reasons behind the violence are disputed. Last week’s decision not to prosecute 24 Sinn Féin politicians for attending Bobby Storey’s funeral last June, in breach of Covid regulations, has been cited as an immediate cause. Arlene Foster, the DUP First Minister, called for Chief Constable Simon Byrne’s resignation over the issue. Foster also accused malign and criminal elements across Northern Ireland of “whipping up” members of the youth.

Police Federation Chair Mark Lindsay told BBC Radio 4 Today that “there are young people who are being cynically used by older, more sinister elements of society,” when asked about Foster’s call for Byrne’s resignation. He added: “There needs to be some political will to either underpin or remove Chief Constable Simon Byrne”. 

The rioting has also been blamed on the impact on Northern Ireland of the Northern Ireland Protocol. But the leaders of the main political parties remain divided on the root cause of these events, despite collectively condemning it.