Photographer shot in second night of Belfast rioting
Photographer shot in second night of Belfast rioting
(about 3 hours later)
Violence has flared for a second night at a sectarian interface near a Catholic enclave in east Belfast.
Sectarian violence has flared for a second night near a Catholic enclave in east Belfast.
Three shots have been fired in the lower Newtownards Road-Short Strand area late on Tuesday but the gunman's target is not known.
Three shots were fired in the lower Newtownards Road-Short Strand area but the gunman's target is not known.
A press photographer was shot in the leg during the incident.
A press photographer was shot in the leg and taken to hospital and police urged the media to stay away.
A barrage of petrol bombs, missiles and fireworks have been thrown at police lines. Two water canon vehicles have arrived but have not been used yet.
A barrage of petrol bombs, missiles and fireworks were thrown at police lines, in what is being reported as the worst trouble in the area for a decade.
There is a large police presence in the area following Monday's sectarian clashes.
Police estimated about 700 people were involved in disturbances on Tuesday. Two males were injured, believed to have suffered burn injuries.
The trouble has been reported as the most serious in the area for a decade.
Historically at this time of year there have been street clashes where Catholic areas meet Protestant districts.
Earlier on Tuesday a senior police officer described shots aimed at officers during rioting in east Belfast on Monday night as "attempted murder".
But that has been in the past and violence has been relatively rare on the streets since the Good Friday Agreement 13 years ago. So this has sprung up as something of a surprise.
Violence erupted at the interface at about 2100 BST on Monday.
It's a part of east Belfast which historically has had a problem between a small number of Catholics and Protestants.
Chief Superintendent Alan McCrum said the trouble was "orchestrated" by the loyalist paramilitary group, the UVF.
There have been a number of small scale sectarian incidents in recent months.
Two men are being treated in hospital for gun shot wounds.
There is a presence in the area of a faction of the pro-British loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force, a paramilitary organisation which signed up to the peace process but is becoming disillusioned.
In all 11 shots were fired - six from the nationalist side and five from loyalists.
They are flexing their muscle, and if you put those factors together you begin to understand what is happening.
There was a large police presence, which followed Monday's sectarian clashes and two water canon vehicles arrived. Roads were closed and police advised motorists to avoid the area.
The photographer - who works for a press agency - was in a stable condition in the casualty department of the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.
BBC Ireland correspondent Mark Simpson said the man's injuries were not life-threatening.
Police appealed for all media to stay out of east Belfast "for their own safety".
Officers fired a number of plastic baton rounds at rioters.
Earlier on Tuesday, a senior police officer described shots aimed at officers during rioting in east Belfast on Monday night as "attempted murder".
Ch Supt Alan McCrum said the trouble was "orchestrated" by loyalist paramilitary group the UVF.
Two men were treated in hospital for gun shot wounds. A total of 11 shots were fired - six from the nationalist side and five from loyalists.
Two shots hit a police Land Rover. Police said it was "clearly an attempt to murder police officers".
Two shots hit a police Land Rover. Police said it was "clearly an attempt to murder police officers".
Petrol bombs, fireworks, bricks, stones and smoke bombs were thrown and homes were damaged during the disturbances.
Petrol bombs, fireworks, bricks, stones and smoke bombs were thrown and homes were damaged during the disturbances.
The PSNI said between 400 to 500 people were involved in the disorder.
The PSNI said between 400 to 500 people were involved in the disorder.
Sectarian interface
Ch Supt McCrum said the trouble started after a group of young men came out of the loyalist Mount and Castlereagh Street areas, and made their way into the Catholic enclave of Short Strand.
Chief Supt McCrum said the trouble started after a group of young men came out of the loyalist Mount and Castlereagh Street areas, and made their way into the Catholic enclave of Short Strand.
"That precipitated a response from the community in the Short Strand, and then we were left with two communities, who for the next four hours were seeking to involve themselves in conflict across what was, and continues to be a very challenging interface in the city."
The riot in east Belfast was another reminder that Northern Ireland has a peace process but it does not have peace.
The number of walls between Protestant and Catholic areas has risen in recent years rather than fallen.
Outbreaks of violence are relatively rare these days, but tension in some areas continues to simmer.
One night of rioting normally leads to another in Northern Ireland. The challenge facing the police is to stop an isolated problem escalating.
Chief Supt McCrum said police believed that members of the east Belfast UVF were involved in the trouble.
"It would be a line of investigation to establish whether that was a co-ordinated and organised 'organisational' position (by the UVF leadership)," he said.
"But at this point we are satisfied that at the very least members of east Belfast UVF were involved in organising the disorder."
The senior officer said police officers were initially "far outnumbered" by hundreds of people who were "hell bent" on disorder.
"We had additional resources in the Short Strand on Monday night, but no-one could have anticipated the scale of the disorder that took place," Chief Supt McCrum said.
"No-one could have anticipated that hundreds of people would be on the street and that petrol bombs, blast bombs, sticks and bottles would be thrown over four to five hours."
Gunfire
The PSNI said there was nothing to suggest that members of the Provisional IRA (PIRA) had fired shots and it was too early to say if dissident republicans were involved as their investigations were continuing.
Presbyterian Minister, Reverend Mervyn Gibson heard two bursts of gunfire after midnight.
"Two young men on the Protestant side were injured, both shot in the legs," he said.
"I was with them both and helped others to arrange to get them to hospital.
"It really was a serious scene. I haven't seen trouble like this for maybe 10 years in the area."
Sinn Fein MLA Alex Maskey was also on the ground during the disturbances.
"The PSNI told me that they had injured people with plastic bullets on the loyalist side, people who were clearly the aggressors. I have no idea who else was injured," he said.
Mr Maskey claimed members of the loyalist paramilitary group, the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) took part in the attack on the Short Strand.
UVF attack
"I am very clear in what I am saying," he said.
"I am making a very serious statement and as far as people in the Short Strand are concerned, the UVF launched an attack on the Catholic community in this area. I think it's absolutely disgraceful."
Laser pens were used to try and 'blind' police. One officer was treated for an eye injury in hospital.
Police said they are also investigating a report of an attempted hijacking of a bus.
Were you in the area? Did you witness the disturbances? Send us your comments using the form below:
Were you in the area? Did you witness the disturbances? Send us your comments using the form below:
Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7725 100 100 (International). If you have a large file you canupload here.
Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7725 100 100 (International). If you have a large file you canupload here.
