Clashes continue in Northern Ireland flag protest
- 11 years ago
(ROUGH CUT ONLY - NO REPORTER NARRATION)
Police in Northern Ireland came under attack for a fifth straight night on Monday (January 7) as the province's police chief urged politicians and parents to act to halt the riots on Belfast streets.
The violence is some of the worst in the British-controlled province since a 1998 peace deal ended 30 years of conflict that pitted Catholics seeking union with Ireland against security forces and Protestants keen to remain British.
The unrest was triggered by a decision by Belfast city council - which is dominated by pro-Irish members - to end the century-old tradition of flying the British flag from City Hall every day.
The council met on Monday for the first time since taking the decision last month and a protest passed off peacefully outside City Hall.
But later, in an eastern part of the capital where rival Protestant and Catholic communities live side by side, a crowd about 200-strong threw petrol bombs, fireworks and paint bombs at police who responded with water canon.
Earlier on Monday, Northern Ireland's police chief appealed to political organisers and parents of youths involved in the violence - some of whom were as young as 10 - to rein it in.
Police in Northern Ireland came under attack for a fifth straight night on Monday (January 7) as the province's police chief urged politicians and parents to act to halt the riots on Belfast streets.
The violence is some of the worst in the British-controlled province since a 1998 peace deal ended 30 years of conflict that pitted Catholics seeking union with Ireland against security forces and Protestants keen to remain British.
The unrest was triggered by a decision by Belfast city council - which is dominated by pro-Irish members - to end the century-old tradition of flying the British flag from City Hall every day.
The council met on Monday for the first time since taking the decision last month and a protest passed off peacefully outside City Hall.
But later, in an eastern part of the capital where rival Protestant and Catholic communities live side by side, a crowd about 200-strong threw petrol bombs, fireworks and paint bombs at police who responded with water canon.
Earlier on Monday, Northern Ireland's police chief appealed to political organisers and parents of youths involved in the violence - some of whom were as young as 10 - to rein it in.