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| Northern Ireland drafts in police reinforcements after more violence | Northern Ireland drafts in police reinforcements after more violence |
| (2 months later) | |
| Three hundred police officers from England, Scotland and Wales are in Northern Ireland after five consecutive nights of violence linked to the loyalist parades dispute. | Three hundred police officers from England, Scotland and Wales are in Northern Ireland after five consecutive nights of violence linked to the loyalist parades dispute. |
| The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has announced that the latest reinforcements bring to about 1,300 the number of English, Welsh and Scottish officers who have crossed the Irish Sea since before the trouble erupted on 12 July following a banned Orange Order parade in north Belfast. | The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has announced that the latest reinforcements bring to about 1,300 the number of English, Welsh and Scottish officers who have crossed the Irish Sea since before the trouble erupted on 12 July following a banned Orange Order parade in north Belfast. |
| A PSNI spokesman said a first tranche of 630 officers from other UK constabularies had returned to Britain. | A PSNI spokesman said a first tranche of 630 officers from other UK constabularies had returned to Britain. |
| The new officers arrived in Belfast on Wednesday after another night of disorder, with 35 petrol bombs thrown at police lines in east Belfast close to the sectarian interface between the Catholic Short Strand and the loyalist Lower Newtownards Road. Four cars were also set alight in nearby Templemore Avenue and there were reports of blast bombs being thrown at the police in another loyalist part of east Belfast. | The new officers arrived in Belfast on Wednesday after another night of disorder, with 35 petrol bombs thrown at police lines in east Belfast close to the sectarian interface between the Catholic Short Strand and the loyalist Lower Newtownards Road. Four cars were also set alight in nearby Templemore Avenue and there were reports of blast bombs being thrown at the police in another loyalist part of east Belfast. |
| There was also trouble on North Queen Street as rival groups confronted each other from the nationalist New Lodge and loyalist Tigers Bay area. | There was also trouble on North Queen Street as rival groups confronted each other from the nationalist New Lodge and loyalist Tigers Bay area. |
| Tension is high in the city before Wednesday's Uefa Champions League football qualifier between the north Belfast side Cliftonville and Celtic. Fans of the Glasgow side have been advised not to wear their green and white colours in Belfast city centre before the match kicks off. Some loyalists have threatened to disrupt traffic and key arterial routes into north Belfast in the lead-up to the clash at Solitude. | Tension is high in the city before Wednesday's Uefa Champions League football qualifier between the north Belfast side Cliftonville and Celtic. Fans of the Glasgow side have been advised not to wear their green and white colours in Belfast city centre before the match kicks off. Some loyalists have threatened to disrupt traffic and key arterial routes into north Belfast in the lead-up to the clash at Solitude. |
| The PSNI assistant chief constable Will Kerr has denounced the rioters, accusing them of behaving like animals towards his officers on the frontline. Seventy-one police officers – 68 from the PSNI and three from other constabularies – have been injured in the violence so far. A total of 51 plastic baton rounds have been fired at rioters while at least 125 petrol bombs have been thrown at the police. | The PSNI assistant chief constable Will Kerr has denounced the rioters, accusing them of behaving like animals towards his officers on the frontline. Seventy-one police officers – 68 from the PSNI and three from other constabularies – have been injured in the violence so far. A total of 51 plastic baton rounds have been fired at rioters while at least 125 petrol bombs have been thrown at the police. |
| "There is a volatility out there that's very obvious to the people who have been on the streets of north Belfast. If you bring people out on to the streets you need to have calm and control, and we didn't see either of those things. | "There is a volatility out there that's very obvious to the people who have been on the streets of north Belfast. If you bring people out on to the streets you need to have calm and control, and we didn't see either of those things. |
| "The behaviour of some was animalistic. Our officers acted with extreme professionalism in the face of violence. Some of these attacks can only be seen as attempted murder on officers," he said. | "The behaviour of some was animalistic. Our officers acted with extreme professionalism in the face of violence. Some of these attacks can only be seen as attempted murder on officers," he said. |
| Dozens of men and boys have been arrested with hundreds more expected to be detained over the next few days as the PSNI examines CCTV footage of the disorder, some of it shot from police helicopters. | Dozens of men and boys have been arrested with hundreds more expected to be detained over the next few days as the PSNI examines CCTV footage of the disorder, some of it shot from police helicopters. |
| George W Bush's peace envoy to Northern Ireland before the establishment of the power-sharing government arrives in Belfast on Wednesday to help local politicians break the violent impasse over parades and marches. | George W Bush's peace envoy to Northern Ireland before the establishment of the power-sharing government arrives in Belfast on Wednesday to help local politicians break the violent impasse over parades and marches. |
| Richard Haas will chair talks between unionist and nationalist leaders to seek a resolution of the dispute that has plagued the peace process. The American diplomat will also meet the Northern Ireland housing executive to discuss ways of reducing the physical barriers – the so-called "peace walls" – that separate Protestant and Catholic communities. | Richard Haas will chair talks between unionist and nationalist leaders to seek a resolution of the dispute that has plagued the peace process. The American diplomat will also meet the Northern Ireland housing executive to discuss ways of reducing the physical barriers – the so-called "peace walls" – that separate Protestant and Catholic communities. |
| The trigger for the latest surge in violence was the decision by the Parades Commission – the body that adjudicates on controversial marches – to ban Orangemen from returning home on their march on 12 July via the Crumlin Road and past the republican Ardoyne area of north Belfast. | The trigger for the latest surge in violence was the decision by the Parades Commission – the body that adjudicates on controversial marches – to ban Orangemen from returning home on their march on 12 July via the Crumlin Road and past the republican Ardoyne area of north Belfast. |
| Loyalists allege that the ban was a reward to dissident republicans in Ardoyne who last year helped organise violent protests against the Orange parade being allowed to return past the district. This resulted in several days of rioting by republicans including gun attacks on police lines. | Loyalists allege that the ban was a reward to dissident republicans in Ardoyne who last year helped organise violent protests against the Orange parade being allowed to return past the district. This resulted in several days of rioting by republicans including gun attacks on police lines. |
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