British flag raised in Belfast

The union flag flies at Belfast City Hall, for the first time since its removal a month ago sparked riots in Northern Ireland, to mark the Duchess of Cambridge's 31st birthday. Picture: Peter Muhly Source: AFP

THE British flag has been hoisted over Belfast's City Hall for the first time since the decision not to fly it permanently sparked riots in Northern Ireland.

On a sixth consecutive night of violence in the British province, protesters pelted police in the capital Belfast with petrol bombs, fireworks, bottles and stones.

Police were able to maintain order in the city's combustible eastern neighbourhoods on Tuesday without resorting to plastic bullets or water cannon, which were both used to quell Monday's unrest. No injuries were reported.

Pro-British protesters have taken to the streets of Belfast almost every night since December 3, when the city council announced it would no longer fly the British flag all year round at the City Hall.

The decision sparked riots at the start of December which gave way to largely peaceful protests, but the violence has flared again since the start of the new year.

Loyalists set up burning barricades on the Newtownards Road in Belfast during protests over a decision by Belfast City Council to stop flying the British flag year-round. Picture: Paul Faith/PA Wire

There are fears of more trouble on Wednesday as the flag is flown for the first time since the ruling in order to mark the birthday of Prince William's wife, the Duchess of Cambridge.

Rioters on Monday used weapons including hatchets and sledge hammers to attack police and their vehicles, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said.

Britain's Northern Ireland minister, Theresa Villiers, said the province was being "held to ransom" by the protesters and called for an end to their demonstrations, including peaceful rallies that have blocked traffic for weeks.

"It's not acceptable that those who say they are defending a Union flag are actually doing it by hurling bricks and petrol bombs at police. It's disgraceful, frankly," she told BBC radio.

Loyalist protesters confront police as they gather at Belfast City Hall during a city council meeting in Belfast. Picture: Peter Muhly/AFP

She added that the protests were doing "huge damage to Northern Ireland's image abroad".

The flag ruling has raised tensions in the British province between loyalists - who want to maintain the links to Britain and are mostly Protestant - and largely Catholic republicans who want a united Ireland.

Northern Ireland's chief police officer Matt Baggott on Monday accused the paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), which murdered more than 500 people during the province's 30-year sectarian conflict, of whipping up the disorder.

On Monday, police battled to separate a crowd of around 250 loyalists from some 70 Catholic republicans, who hurled missiles including bottles at the protesters.

Police dressed in riot gear protect the Belfast City Hall as Loyalist protesters gather during a city council meeting. Picture: Peter Muhly/AFP

Around 1000 loyalists had earlier staged a peaceful demonstration outside the City Hall as councillors held their first meeting since their decision to take the flag down.

More than 60 police have been injured and over 100 people arrested since the disorder began.

Four people have been charged in connection with Monday night's disorder and were due to appear in court on Tuesday.

Politicians from both sides have received death threats in recent weeks, but MPs from all major parties have insisted that the spate of violence does not pose a serious threat to Northern Ireland's peace process.

Violence flared again in Northern Ireland, after politicians and Church leaders held talks in a bid to quell a row over the flying of the British flag. Picture: Peter Muhly/AFP

British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Wednesday that Northern Ireland needed to break down "barriers of segregation that have been in place for many, many years".

"We need to build a shared future in Northern Ireland," he said as he faced his weekly session of questions in parliament.

"I think that is part of the challenge to take away some of the tensions that we've seen in recent days."

John Kyle, a member of the pro-British Progressive Unionist Party on the city council, said the protests expressed the wider anger of Protestants who feel they have lost out in the peace process.

"There's a feeling of alienation - they feel disconnected from the political system," he told BBC radio.

"It has erupted in this anger and regrettably the anger has led to violence."

Some 3000 people were killed in the three decades of sectarian bombings and shootings from the late 1960s known as The Troubles.

Northern Ireland's top policeman Matt Baggott has accused the paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force, which murdered more than 500 people during the conflict, of orchestrating some of the recent violence.

The 1998 Good Friday peace agreement brought an end to most of the unrest in the province, but sporadic bomb threats and murders carried out by dissident republicans continue.

 

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