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Teenage girl run over during marching season unrest in north Belfast Teenage girl run over during marching season unrest in north Belfast
(about 2 hours later)
A teenage girl from the Catholic Ardoyne district of north Belfast has been seriously injured by an allegedly hijacked car at a sectarian interface where police were already dealing with rioting Ulster loyalists. A teenage Catholic girl was struck by a car in north Belfast as riot police came under attack nearby from Ulster loyalists on Monday night following the parades to commemorate the 325th anniversary of King William’s victory at the Battle of the Boyne.
As riot squad officers sustained a bombardment of bottles, stones, bricks, metal ladders and heavy bolts launched by catapults on the nearby Woodvale Road, a car slammed into pedestrians on the Crumlin Road – the route which a local Orange Order lodge was banned from marching back up on Monday night. The disorder around the most serious flashpoint of the Northern Ireland marching season also resulted in eight police officers being injured, while three baton rounds were fired and water cannon deployed to quell trouble on the Crumlin and Woodvale Roads.
Shortly after 8pm, locals from Ardoyne claimed that the car was driven at speed into a group of people from the area, hitting a 16-year-old girl. It was a contrast to a mood of optimism earlier in the day when the initial parade passed off peacefully on its way to join the larger Belfast Orange demonstration. The Twelfth demonstrations happened on 13 July this year as the Orange Order does not stage its main event of the calendar on a Sunday.
Police officers who were separating rival groups of loyalists and republicans on the road, a sectarian flashpoint, rushed to the scene. The officers had to lift the maroon coloured car on to one side to free the girl from underneath it. Speaking after the morning parade, Fr Gary Donegan, from the Holy Cross Catholic church on the Crumlin Road, said: “It was one of the most peaceful parades we have had. The community just want to it all to be over.”
Large crowds from the Ardoyne started to gather around the car as police continued to give emergency medical aid to the teenager. The violence first erupted shortly after 7.30pm when up to 3,000 loyalists came up against a metal crowd barrier and lines of police officers on the Woodvale Road.
She is said to have been seriously injured in the incident with some ewitnesses claiming the car deliberately ploughed into the area where she was standing. The Police Service of Northern Ireland was enforcing a ban on the Orange Order marching back up the Crumlin Road. The banning order was imposed by the Parades Commission, the body tasked with ruling on contentious marches in the region.
A Police Service of Northern Ireland spokeswoman said: “Police immediately responded and administered first aid and the driver of the vehicle has been arrested.” The return journey broke into violence when youths attempted to break through the police barrier and then started pelting police with bottles, bricks, stones and a pair of metal ladders. They also fired heavy bolts from catapults at police officers and members of the media gathered on the road.
Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Martin said: “I would appeal for calm and ask that space be given to the medics attending the scene. An investigation into the circumstances is now under way.” Less than 40 minutes later there were angry scenes on the Crumlin Road close to the republican Ardoyne district after a car crashed into a group of Catholics.
Riot squad officers from the PSNI dealt with loyalist youths attacking their lines several hundred yards away from the upturned car on the Woodvale Road. Police and locals had to lift the maroon-coloured car on to its side to free a 16-year-old girl who was seriously injured in the incident. The driver was taken from the vehicle by police and arrested.
At about 7.30pm, Orangemen and their supporters from the Ligoneil area in the Upper Crumlin Road arrived at a barrier the PSNI had erected to prevent them returning home. The PSNI was enforcing a ruling from the body that adjudicates on controversial marches in Northern Ireland. The Parades Commission ruled that while the Ligoneil Orange lodge, two bands and their supporters could parade along the Crumlin Road on Monday morning, they would not be allowed back along the same route which goes past the nationalist Ardoyne. “Police immediately responded and administered first aid, and the driver of the vehicle has been arrested,” a police spokeswoman said.
Up to 3,000 loyalists arrived at the metal barrier and, within minutes, youths started hurling missiles at the police and media gathered beside the PSNI lines. At one stage, it appeared that the loyalists were about to breach the crowd control barrier with some even managing to jump on to the front of police Land Rovers and dance on top of the vehicles. Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Martin added: “I would appeal for calm and ask that space be given to the medics attending the scene. An investigation into the circumstances is now under way.”
The violence spread further up the road to Twaddell Avenue, a loyalist street that faces the Ardoyne shops. One senior police officer was knocked unconscious after being hit by a large piece of masonry. The PSNI then deployed water cannon to push dozens of loyalists away from the Crumlin Road. Gerry Kelly, a Sinn Féin minister in the power sharing executive at Stormont, later confirmed that the girl’s injuries were not life threatening.
At least 50 armoured police Land Rovers and two mobile water cannon trucks were in the area when the disorder erupted. He said people were “disappointed” the situation had deteriorated into violence and appealed for community leadership. “Political representatives across the board should be calling for calm.”
The Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland condemned those engaging in violence and issued an appeal for calm in north Belfast. A spokesperson said: “Those involved in violence should desist. It is not only counterproductive but also plain wrong. Large crowds of republicans and nationalists from Ardoyne gathered on the Crumlin Road while police officers tended to the injured girl, the fresh trouble broke out between loyalists and the police at Twaddell Avenue, a Protestant street facing the Catholic district.
“Such actions are only strengthening the hand of those who wish to further curtail our parades. We call on anyone engaged in illegal behaviour to stop immediately.” A police inspector was hit in the head with a piece of masonry, sustaining a serious injury. Police fired three plastic baton rounds and deployed water cannon to drive back the loyalists from the Twaddell Avenue interface.
The spokesman condemned those responsible for stoning a bus transporting Orangemen as it passed through Greysteel, Co Londonderry, earlier in the evening. The Police Federation, representing rank and file officers in Northern Ireland, said one policeman had to have 12 stitches after being bitten by a rioter.
The bus, carrying lodge members from the Republic, was returning from a Twelfth demonstration in Coleraine. It is understood that no one was seriously injured in the incident. Mark Lindsay, the federation chairman, said: “Once again, officers demonstrated their patience and professionalism even though their lines were under attack. The scenes we witnessed were deplorable and shameful. The behaviour of those who viciously targeted police lines was mindless and unacceptable.”
The violence sharply contrasted with a mood of optimism earlier in the day after the initial parade passed off peacefully on its way to join the larger Belfast Orange demonstration to commemorate the 325th anniversary of King William’s victory at the Battle of the Boyne. The Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland condemned the violence and called for “anyone engaged in illegal behaviour” in North Belfast to “stop immediately”.
Speaking after the morning parade, Fr Gary Donegan, the parish priest from the Holy Cross Catholic church on the Crumlin Road,said: “It was one of the most peaceful parades we have had. The community just want to it all to be over. If the morning parade goes through peacefully and there is no return — it’s the perfect solution for this community.” The spokesman also condemned those responsible for stoning a bus transporting Orangemen as it passed through Greysteel, Co Londonderry, earlier in the evening. The bus, carrying lodge members from the Republic, was returning from a Twelfth demonstration in Coleraine. It is understood that no one was seriously injured in the incident.
Several hours later, Donegan was back on the Crumlin Road giving support to family and friends of the girl injured in the incident involving the car. He said three people were injured by the car with the teenager suffering head and neck injuries The Northern Ireland secretary, Theresa Villiers, said: “I condemn these disgraceful attacks on the police. Those responsible do nothing to further the cause they claim to promote. They damage Northern Ireland and wreck a day which should be about respectful celebration of cultural tradition … My thoughts are with all those injured.”
“It’s miraculous that she’s still alive,” Donegan said. The shadow Northern Ireland secretary, Ivan Lewis, also hit out at those behind the trouble. He said: “The scenes in North Belfast tonight are a serious step backwards for stability in Northern Ireland. Police and security professionals, as well as members of the public, have endured unacceptable levels of violence and disorder.
“The small minority determined to return to the bad old days must not be allowed to prosper. Politicians and community leaders should reiterate their support for the rule of law and condemn the violence without fear or favour.”
Several hours later Donegan was back on the Crumlin Road giving support to family and friends of the girl injured in the incident involving the car. The priest later appealed for Ardoyne residents to leave the area where the girl was injured, telling them that it was a crime scene.