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| Nine officers injured after Belfast anti-internment parade violence | Nine officers injured after Belfast anti-internment parade violence |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Nine police officers were injured during trouble following an anti-internment parade in north Belfast on Sunday, the PSNI has said. | Nine police officers were injured during trouble following an anti-internment parade in north Belfast on Sunday, the PSNI has said. |
| Petrol bombs, stones and bottles were thrown at police after they stopped the parade entering Belfast city centre. | Petrol bombs, stones and bottles were thrown at police after they stopped the parade entering Belfast city centre. |
| Three men and a woman were arrested. Two have been charged with offences. | |
| Ass Ch Con Stephen Martin said the responsibility for the violence lay with the organisers of the parade. | Ass Ch Con Stephen Martin said the responsibility for the violence lay with the organisers of the parade. |
| The march was stopped by police at Oldpark Road in the north of the city after it breached a determination by a parades ruling body over its timing. | The march was stopped by police at Oldpark Road in the north of the city after it breached a determination by a parades ruling body over its timing. |
| Organisers had asked supporters to leave peacefully when the parade ended. | Organisers had asked supporters to leave peacefully when the parade ended. |
| But police were forced to deploy water cannon about an hour later when a crowd threw missiles at them. | But police were forced to deploy water cannon about an hour later when a crowd threw missiles at them. |
| A local priest, Fr Martin Magill, said some residents he had spoken to had felt hemmed in "they feel they were pushed around they feel the whole police operation has really angered them and frustrated them". | A local priest, Fr Martin Magill, said some residents he had spoken to had felt hemmed in "they feel they were pushed around they feel the whole police operation has really angered them and frustrated them". |
| However, ACC Martin said that police had tried to engage with the organisers of the parade in the days ahead of it, but no-one would come forward. | However, ACC Martin said that police had tried to engage with the organisers of the parade in the days ahead of it, but no-one would come forward. |
| "It was an unlawful parade, it was our job to uphold the law, to enforce the Parades Commission determination and we did that and we only used force when we were subjected to disorder and violence," he said. | "It was an unlawful parade, it was our job to uphold the law, to enforce the Parades Commission determination and we did that and we only used force when we were subjected to disorder and violence," he said. |
| "We always seek to de-escalate the situation as quickly as possible, but while the parade, in its bulk, did disperse, there were still quite a few people about. | "We always seek to de-escalate the situation as quickly as possible, but while the parade, in its bulk, did disperse, there were still quite a few people about. |
| "There were people down the road on the loyalist side milling about, there were people milling about in the nationalist area and very quickly after the dispersal of the parade the violence ensued. | "There were people down the road on the loyalist side milling about, there were people milling about in the nationalist area and very quickly after the dispersal of the parade the violence ensued. |
| "As quickly as possible we dealt with that violence and withdrew from the area." | "As quickly as possible we dealt with that violence and withdrew from the area." |
| He said police would review footage of the disorder and others involved could expect "their doors to be knocked". | He said police would review footage of the disorder and others involved could expect "their doors to be knocked". |
| The march was organised by the Anti-Internment League to mark the introduction of detention without trial during the height of the Troubles. | The march was organised by the Anti-Internment League to mark the introduction of detention without trial during the height of the Troubles. |
| Leave | Leave |
| The Parades Commission ruled the republican parade was to have passed Millfield junction by 13:30 BST, but it breached the ruling and did not start until about 14:00. | The Parades Commission ruled the republican parade was to have passed Millfield junction by 13:30 BST, but it breached the ruling and did not start until about 14:00. |
| During a short rally at the police line, a speaker told participants the parade had ended and asked those taking part to leave peacefully. | During a short rally at the police line, a speaker told participants the parade had ended and asked those taking part to leave peacefully. |
| But a crowd remained in the area and later threw petrol bombs and other missiles at police officers. | But a crowd remained in the area and later threw petrol bombs and other missiles at police officers. |
| Sinn Féin North Belfast MLA Gerry Kelly said the parade organisers had decided to disregard the Parades Commission determination. | Sinn Féin North Belfast MLA Gerry Kelly said the parade organisers had decided to disregard the Parades Commission determination. |
| "Therefore they brought people out onto the street in direct contradiction of the Parades Commission decision," he said. | "Therefore they brought people out onto the street in direct contradiction of the Parades Commission decision," he said. |
| However, he added: "I think it was a mistake to stop this parade at an interface." | However, he added: "I think it was a mistake to stop this parade at an interface." |
| 'Parade of shame' | 'Parade of shame' |
| But DUP MLA William Humphrey said the police would have looked at the route and decided where the best place to stop the parade was. | But DUP MLA William Humphrey said the police would have looked at the route and decided where the best place to stop the parade was. |
| "The organisers of this parade of shame have succeeded only in increasing inter-community tensions, causing huge expense for a massive policing operation and disrupting our city centre trade," he said. | "The organisers of this parade of shame have succeeded only in increasing inter-community tensions, causing huge expense for a massive policing operation and disrupting our city centre trade," he said. |
| Progressive Unionist Party leader Billy Hutchinson said: "This so-called parade or demonstration was an absolute disgrace and nothing more than an extension of the ongoing and repeated threats of violence and intimidation that violent republicans present to the political and peace process." | Progressive Unionist Party leader Billy Hutchinson said: "This so-called parade or demonstration was an absolute disgrace and nothing more than an extension of the ongoing and repeated threats of violence and intimidation that violent republicans present to the political and peace process." |
| The Anti-Internment League said "all march participants behaved peacefully and with dignity" when the parade reached the police cordon, before taking "the responsible decision" to leave the area. | The Anti-Internment League said "all march participants behaved peacefully and with dignity" when the parade reached the police cordon, before taking "the responsible decision" to leave the area. |
| The other two men arrested on Sunday remain in custody. | The other two men arrested on Sunday remain in custody. |