Belfast riots: Woman arrested on weapons charge

Press photographer is shot in the leg as sectarian violence erupts in the east of the cty for a second night A 20-year-old woman has been arrested on a weapons charge after the most serious rioting for years in Belfast. A press photographer was shot in the right leg by a rioter and police fired more than 60 baton rounds as sectarian rioting flared up in the east of the city for a second night. Up to 700 people attacked officers with petrol and paint bombs, masonry and laser pens. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) deployed both its helicopters, and officers brought in water cannon after bricks and bottles hit their lines. A PSNI spokesman said: “A 20-year-old female was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and assault on police. She remains in police custody.” Northern Ireland’s first minister, Peter Robinson, and his deputy, ,Martin McGuinness, have condemned the riots, as well as a separate bomb attack aimed at police in west Belfast. Robinson said: “At this time, when many are working hard to build a better and brighter future for all in Northern Ireland, it is disappointing and deeply concerning to see this level of violence return to our streets. “We have given clear commitments to continue to deliver progress for all within the community, including in those areas most at need. This type of behaviour damages the local economy and unfairly mars the reputation of the community.” McGuinness said: “A small minority of individuals are clearly determined to destabilise our communities. They will not be allowed to drag us back to the past. “I call on all those involved to take a step back and to remain calm. I support the efforts of community leaders on all sides, who have been working on the ground to restore calm in east Belfast.” The unrest followed similar disturbances on Monday night, in which two men were shot. . Several hundred people gathered near the Newtownards Road, and masked youths pelted each other with stones and fireworks. Police said around 700 people had congregated in the area, some of them carrying petrol bombs. The PSNI warned the media to stay away from the area for their own safety, shortly before the Press Association confirmed that one of its photographers had been shot in the leg and had been taken to hospital. A spokeswoman for the PSNI said three shots had been fired: “One male has been injured and taken to hospital, but the extent of his injuries is not known. Water cannon has been deployed.” Two men were also reportedly injured, suffering burn wounds, police said. “Police are continuing to engage with local community representatives and are working to restore calm. The Albert Bridge road and Temple Bridge road are now closed,” the spokeswoman added. Police said 11 shots were fired during the riot on Monday, six by nationalists and five by loyalists. Two shots fired at police vehicles were being treated as attempted murder. Petrol and smoke bombs, fireworks, bricks and stones were thrown by an estimated 500 men in masks and crash helmets as violence broke out at about 9pm in the Lower Newtownards Road and Short Strand area of the city, a mainly nationalist area. For four hours, missiles were hurled at homes on both sides of the sectarian divide along the main routes into Belfast’s city centre. The shooting happened just before 1am. Two Protestant men, both shot in a leg, were taken to hospital. One officer suffered a serious eye injury when rioters targeted police with laser pens. The PSNI confirmed that officers had fired a number of stun grenade rounds, and said the service was investigating a report of an attempted hijacking of a bus. Police said members of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) had planned the violence. Assistant Chief Constable Alistair Finlay said: “There certainly were people masked up and there were certainly people wearing surgical gloves … There was some planning around this event. It just didn’t spirit itself out of the ether.” One nationalist resident, who asked not to be named, said he had seen a gang gathering at about 3pm. “I saw all these men, not young lads, massing outside a local loyalist drinking den, all wearing crash helmets. I thought they were going on an outing, just messing around. But it was the same gang who came down later on … It’s the worst I’ve seen in years and years.” Chief Superintendent Alan McCrum of the PSNI said members of the east Belfast UVF had been involved in planning the disorder. McCrum, who appeared to rule out IRA splinter group involvement in the shooting of the two Protestants, admitted that his officers had been outnumbered on Monday but said the violence had been unexpected. “We had additional resources in the Short Strand on Monday night,” he said, “but no one could have anticipated the scale of the disorder that took place.” Northern Ireland Police Peter Robinson Martin McGuinness guardian.co.uk

Posted by on June 22, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.