Officers injured in Belfast rioting

Source BBC News@ tienganhvui.com

14 July 2013 Last updated at 05:49 ET

A police officer was struck by a petrol bomb during further violence in the Woodvale area on Saturday

The police have said seven officers were slightly injured during a second night of rioting in north Belfast on Saturday.

Officers were attacked with petrol bombs, fireworks, laser pens and stones in the Woodvale area. Police fired 10 baton rounds and deployed water cannon.

It followed serious rioting on Friday night when 32 police officers and an MP were injured.

Chris Buckler reports from the scene of Saturday's clashes

Another 400 police officers have been brought in from England and Scotland.

Police said trouble broke out on Saturday shortly after 20:30 BST and continued for several hours. Calm was restored to the area at about 01:30 on Sunday.

So far, 33 people have been arrested during the two nights of trouble.

BBC Northern Ireland reporter Mark Simpson said on Saturday a police officer was hit by a petrol bomb during the rioting. The officer's colleagues quickly extinguished the flames.

The BBC's Andy Martin, in Belfast, said the rioting was "nowhere near as bad" as on Friday night.

Chief Constable Matt Baggott has described the 12 July trouble as "shameful and disgraceful".

Clashes developed when police enforced a ban on an Orange Order march on Friday.

The order had called for widespread demonstrations after marchers were banned from a stretch of road separating loyalists and nationalists. It later said it was suspending its protest.

Mr Baggott said the Twelfth had been a "day of celebration" for many people and that the majority of parades had passed off "peacefully".

'Emotive'

"But I think this morning (Saturday) some of the leadership within the Orange Order needs to reflect upon whether they provided the responsible leadership asked for by myself and by the party leaders," he said.

"Some of their language was emotive, having called thousands of people to protest, they had no plan and no control, and rather than being responsible, I think the word for that is reckless."

Aerial footage of rioting taken by NI police

Secretary of State Theresa Villiers said she "utterly condemned" the rioting.

She said it was "right" that the Orange Order had suspended its protests and called for the organisation to "call them off completely".

"It is the clear responsibility of everyone who has influence, including the Orange Order, community leaders and politicians, to do what they can to calm the situation. We need temperate language over coming days," she added.

Clashes developed when police enforced a ban on an Orange Order march

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Water cannon and baton rounds were used in north Belfast after violence broke out

Police were enforcing a Parades Commission ban

Nigel Dodds was hit by a missile after earlier appealing for calm in north Belfast

Police officers help an injured colleague in north Belfast

The Parades Commission ruling stops Orange Order lodges from walking on a stretch of road in north Belfast that separates loyalist and nationalist communities

Bricks and bottles were thrown during the trouble

Water cannon and baton rounds were used on the Woodvale Road

Police officers appealed for politicians to use any influence they could to calm the situation

The lodges were allowed to walk on the stretch of road in the morning but were banned from doing so on their return in the evening

The Parades Commission said the lodges could go no further than the junction of Woodvale Road and Woodvale Parade

Police prevented them from walking between that point and the junction of the Crumlin Road and Hesketh Road

In recent years, there has been serious rioting in the nationalist Ardoyne area following the return leg of the parade

The Parades Commission ruling caused anger in loyalist communities

Young men express their anger at the Parades Commission ruling

Every year on 12 July Orangemen march to commemorate William of Orange's victory over the Catholic King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland in 1690

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The marching season in Northern Ireland is a period of events from April to August, with the highpoint on 12 July when Orangemen march to commemorate William of Orange's victory over the Catholic King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland in 1690.

William III is revered by the order as a champion of his faith. The Orange Order commemorate his victory in their annual parades.

Many Catholics see the marches as triumphalist and sectarian with some traditional Orange routes passing through or past areas occupied mainly by Catholics and nationalists.

The Parades Commission ruling on the north Belfast parade was welcomed by nationalist politicians but angered unionists.

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