Northern Ireland sees three nights of violence as tensions build

Northern Ireland sees three nights of violence as tensions build

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Sunday was a third night of disorder in the cities of Belfast and Derry / Londonderry, where police were targeted with petrol bombs and cars hijacked and set on fire.

According to a statement from the Northern Ireland Police Service (PSNI), children as young as 12 were involved.

Police threw 30 petrol bombs at police in Newtownabbey, Belfast on Saturday night and three vehicles were hijacked and set on fire, police said in an orchestrated attack.

It follows riots Friday in both cities following a decision not to prosecute Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein for allegedly violating coronavirus restrictions by burying a former leading IRA figure during the closing ceremony last year at to live. The decision is being reviewed.

It also comes amid growing anger over a specific part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement, called the Northern Ireland Protocol, which aims to reduce the need for border control between Northern Ireland – which is part of the UK – and to eliminate the Republic of Ireland. an EU member.

Instead, it creates a de facto border along the Irish Sea, as goods entering Northern Ireland from Britain are subject to EU controls – a move that angered pro-British Unionists.

Police saw the escalating violence as ‘unacceptable’ and called on residents to help disperse local tensions and prevent further incidents.

EU launches legal action against UK over Northern Ireland protocol

David Campbell, chairman of the Loyalist Communities Council, recently told CNN that ‘it’s very easy for things to get out of hand, so dialogue is essential … but [if not] for the Covid restrictions there would have been protests already – I would no doubt have blocked the ports. ‘

Democrat Unionist MP Sammy Wilson told CNN on a recent trip to Northern Ireland on CNN: ‘We’re just saying to tear up the agreement that the UK is breaking, to tear up the agreement that break all the promises you made to the people of Northern Ireland that you would have unrestricted access to your largest market in GB [Great Britain]. “

Sinn Féin MP Paul Maskey said of the incident on Friday: “Tonight we saw unfortunate skirmishes between young people and the PSNI in the Sandy Row area after a protest organized by loyalists against the protocol.”

“I call on the DUP and political trade unionism to show leadership, to end their dangerous rhetoric and to ensure that there is an urgent increase in tension,” Maskey added.

CNN’s Kara Fox contributed to this report.

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