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| Version 7 | Version 8 |
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| Northern Ireland disturbances leave police injured | Northern Ireland disturbances leave police injured |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Four police officers have been injured in Northern Ireland after disturbances in Carrickfergus in County Antrim. | Four police officers have been injured in Northern Ireland after disturbances in Carrickfergus in County Antrim. |
| Some 1,500 people gathered in the town to protest against Belfast City Council's decision to stop flying the union flag every day. | Some 1,500 people gathered in the town to protest against Belfast City Council's decision to stop flying the union flag every day. |
| Earlier, an Alliance Party office in Carrickfergus was set on fire. | Earlier, an Alliance Party office in Carrickfergus was set on fire. |
| And the home of a couple who are both Alliance Party councillors in Bangor, County Down, was attacked. | And the home of a couple who are both Alliance Party councillors in Bangor, County Down, was attacked. |
| Paint was thrown at Michael and Christine Bower's home, smashing a front window close to where their daughter normally plays. | |
| No-one was injured although the couple said they were shocked by what had happened. | No-one was injured although the couple said they were shocked by what had happened. |
| The violence comes during an important week for Northern Ireland as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is due to visit on Friday. | The violence comes during an important week for Northern Ireland as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is due to visit on Friday. |
| About 1,500 people had gathered at the Irish Gate roundabout in Carrickfergus earlier on Wednesday, police said, to protest against the council's decision. | |
| The crowd dispersed but some people stayed behind, trouble broke out and missiles, bottles and masonry were thrown at police. | The crowd dispersed but some people stayed behind, trouble broke out and missiles, bottles and masonry were thrown at police. |
| Rioting continued in nearby West Street, where Alliance MLA Stewart Dickson has a constituency office. | Rioting continued in nearby West Street, where Alliance MLA Stewart Dickson has a constituency office. |
| It was ransacked and the rioters tried to set it on fire. The building was smoke damaged. | It was ransacked and the rioters tried to set it on fire. The building was smoke damaged. |
| Police fired a number of baton rounds at the crowd. They said a number of officers were injured in the riot but their injuries were not thought to be life threatening. | Police fired a number of baton rounds at the crowd. They said a number of officers were injured in the riot but their injuries were not thought to be life threatening. |
| By 22:20 GMT on Wednesday, police said the trouble had come to an end, although they were maintaining a presence in Carrickfergus. | By 22:20 GMT on Wednesday, police said the trouble had come to an end, although they were maintaining a presence in Carrickfergus. |
| Two men and two women have been arrested in connection with the violence. | Two men and two women have been arrested in connection with the violence. |
| Assembly call | Assembly call |
| Michael Bower, a north Down councillor, said he was sitting in his living room at about 23:00 GMT on Wednesday when the attack happened. The device shattered a pane in the double-glazed window of the front living room. | |
| "My daughter who is 17-months-old had just gone to bed when I heard an explosion against the window," he said. | |
| "I guessed it was some sort of attack on our family home. I checked that my wife and daughter were okay. The paint bomb hit the corner of the room where my daughter usually plays. | "I guessed it was some sort of attack on our family home. I checked that my wife and daughter were okay. The paint bomb hit the corner of the room where my daughter usually plays. |
| "There is damage to the window, but it could so easily have been so much worse. If events had been different, a young life could have been lost. I would plead with people to calm down and to stop attacking representatives doing their best to support their communities." | "There is damage to the window, but it could so easily have been so much worse. If events had been different, a young life could have been lost. I would plead with people to calm down and to stop attacking representatives doing their best to support their communities." |
| Meanwhile, Alliance leader David Ford has requested the Northern Ireland Assembly be recalled on Thursday to discuss the attacks. | Meanwhile, Alliance leader David Ford has requested the Northern Ireland Assembly be recalled on Thursday to discuss the attacks. |
| He said what had happened was "a direct assault on democracy of the worst possible kind". | He said what had happened was "a direct assault on democracy of the worst possible kind". |
| "I believe there is now a heavy responsibility on Peter Robinson and Mike Nesbitt to provide an alternative kind of leadership which would divert people away from the kind of trouble," he said. | "I believe there is now a heavy responsibility on Peter Robinson and Mike Nesbitt to provide an alternative kind of leadership which would divert people away from the kind of trouble," he said. |
| 'Brains, not brawn' | 'Brains, not brawn' |
| DUP MP Sammy Wilson has condemned the attacks. | DUP MP Sammy Wilson has condemned the attacks. |
| "People are entitled to peacefully protest but there is absolutely no justification for the carnage which has been caused in Carrickfergus this evening," he said. | "People are entitled to peacefully protest but there is absolutely no justification for the carnage which has been caused in Carrickfergus this evening," he said. |
| "Those involved do a disservice to the flag they claim to defend. Today, in the House of Commons, several MPs backed the union flag being flown from city hall, however this criminal behaviour undermines and distracts from the argument. | "Those involved do a disservice to the flag they claim to defend. Today, in the House of Commons, several MPs backed the union flag being flown from city hall, however this criminal behaviour undermines and distracts from the argument. |
| "I urge those involved to step back from this criminal activity and channel their energies through democratic politics." | "I urge those involved to step back from this criminal activity and channel their energies through democratic politics." |
| Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt MLA said violence was legally and morally wrong. | Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt MLA said violence was legally and morally wrong. |
| "What unionism needs today is brains, not brawn. We need an analysis, a strategy and an agreed outcome. I am happy to talk to anyone, if they commit to repent and desist from violence." | "What unionism needs today is brains, not brawn. We need an analysis, a strategy and an agreed outcome. I am happy to talk to anyone, if they commit to repent and desist from violence." |
| Jim Allister of TUV said the violence was "utterly wrong" and was not the way forward. | Jim Allister of TUV said the violence was "utterly wrong" and was not the way forward. |
| Meanwhile, in the centre of Lurgan, County Armagh, another loyalist flag protest has taken place. | Meanwhile, in the centre of Lurgan, County Armagh, another loyalist flag protest has taken place. |