This post has not been vetted or endorsed by BuzzFeed's editorial staff. BuzzFeed Community is a place where anyone can create a post or quiz. Try making your own!
Five police officers were taken to hospital and 56 were injured after responding to loyalist violence in Belfast over the last couple of days.
Armed police were on the streets last night and today, after rioting hit the Royal Avenue area, close to popular shops.
The unrest came at the end of the World Police and Fire Games, which have been running since last Thursday.
I know the majority of the population will stand with me in condemning those who scarred the reputation of our beautiful city last night. Those people had no intention of peaceful protest. They lack self respect and they lack dignity. Bizarrely many parts of the city continued to show the friendship, the welcome and the hope so evident over the past number of days in relation to the WPFG while a few streets over we saw what I can only describe as a mindless anarchy.
The police used water cannon on loyalists after being hit by bricks and fireworks.
View this video on YouTube
If anyone doubts our resolve on this, just think of the hundreds of people who have been arrested, prosecuted or reported in connection with disturbances this year.There's plenty of evidence of what happened last night and I have no doubt whatsoever that significant custodial sentences will be handed down and prisons will be bulging.The only voices we should hear now are those unequivocally condemning the violence and supporting fully the actions of police and rule of law. I don't want to hear any excuses for the disgraceful scenes that took place last night because quite frankly there aren't any.
Around 1200 loyalists rioted in response to a parade by the Anti-Internment League, which marked the introduction in 1971 of detention of Irish terror suspects indefinitely and without trial.
Share This Article
