Affrontements à Belfast – sept. 09

Sectarian riots erupt in Belfast on police chief’s last night in charge

http://www.guardian.co.uk

Scenes reminiscent of dark days of the Troubles as Sir Hugh Orde steps down as Northern Ireland chief constable

Tuesday 1 September 2009 1

The Police Service of Northern Ireland fired baton rounds into crowds to quell sectarian rioting in Belfast last night, on the last day of Sir Hugh Orde’s tenure as the region’s chief constable.

Sinn Féin and local unionists argued over how the violence escalated in east Belfast. Unionists blamed republicans for holding a rally outside a police station in the nationalist Short Strand area 200 yards from a loyalist area of east Belfast.

Rival groups pelted each other with bottles and stones and missiles were thrown at police and passing motorists at the junction of Albertbridge and Castlereagh Roads.

The Democratic Unionist councillor Robin Newton said he wanted to know who was behind the organisation of the rally marking the closure of Mountpottinger police station. « I would like to know if this was an event with the blessing of Sinn Féin, or whether this was something organised by one or two individuals, » he said.

« Because if it was a Sinn Féin-organised event, then I think it was something that was reckless on their part. It obviously developed into a riot that they were unable to control. »

Dawn Purvis, the leader of the Progressive Unionist party, said Sinn Féin bore some responsibility for bringing crowds on to the streets close to a sectarian interface.

The east Belfast Sinn Féin representative, Niall O’Donnghaile, said the use of plastic bullets was « completely unjustified » and the event and the trouble afterwards were not connected.

« Trouble has been ongoing in this area over the past number of weeks and has been flagged up by community workers and statutory bodies from both sides of the community, » he said. « The PSNI would have been made well aware of these problems and, in my opinion, have failed to deal with the situation adequately. »

No arrests have been made in connection with the violence. During the disturbances, a police helicopter hovered over the crowds warning rioters that they would be arrested. Several hundred youths on either side of the sectarian divide were involved in the trouble, which lasted for several hours.

The rioting followed several days of clashes in the area, including an attack on two Protestant teenage girls and the stoning of a minibus taking children from the Short Strand.

In a night of violence across Belfast, dissident republicans were blamed for shooting a teenager in the legs at his home in the west of the city. Meanwhile, the home of the daughter of a loyalist killed in a paramilitary feud nine years ago was vandalised. Tracy Coulter accused members of the Ulster Volunteer Force for wrecking her home in the Lower Shankill Road, and vowed to continue to try to bring her father Jackie’s killers to justice.

Sinn Fein under fire for city riots

By Deborah McAleese
Tuesday, 1 September 2009

PSNI officers come under attack as they get between Nationalist and Loyalist youths in the Mount/Short Strand area of east Belfast last night. Up to 100 youths on either side threw stones, bottles and other missiles at each other for a couple of hours before police finally brought the violence under control

Sinn Fein was coming under increasing political fire today after a night of serious violence during which police were forced to fire baton rounds on the streets of Belfast.

Trouble exploded into a night of mayhem and destruction as up to 200 loyalists and republicans clashed following a Sinn Fein rally to celebrate the closure of Mountpottinger Police Station in east Belfast.

Missiles, including bricks, paving stones and golf balls were thrown between the two groups as well as at police officers trying to calm the situation. Officers were forced to open fire with baton rounds when rioters refused to disperse from the area.

Sinn Fein was today accused of being “reckless” and “provocative” for organising the rally in a flashpoint area where there is a history of sectarian clashes.

DUP MLA Robin Newton said: “I lay the blame for this firmly at Sinn Fein. They held this carnival at the closure of Mountpottinger Station knowing that those who had campaigned to keep it open would find it insulting.”

However, east Belfast Sinn Fein representative Niall O Donnghaile said that the violence had nothing to do with the rally, but was an escalation of trouble that has been ongoing at the interface for the past 18 months.

\[Chris Cairns\]”What I can say is that the people who were taking part in the rally dispersed peacefully and went about their business. There was no connection between the rally and what happened. “

Lord Mayor Naomi Long said that serious questions need to be asked of Sinn Fein as to why they held the rally.

“The closure of Mountpotinger has been a difficult and sensitive issue on both sides. Before the rally was held we did question the wisdom of holding a rally around these events. It shows a complete lack of political maturity. We thought this was quite a provocative move. It is a very sensitive issue and should have been handled with more maturity.”

The PUP’s Dawn Purvis added: “There has been ongoing trouble in that area so why would you bring people onto the streets when you know it is going to lead to trouble?”