Who are the loyalists in Northern Ireland and why are they rioting?
Des émeutes à la frontière nord-irlandaise.
Dans nos précédentes éditions, nous évoquions la possibilité de nouvelles violences entre l'Irlande du Nord et le reste du Royaume-Uni. Depuis le Brexit, la colère gronde autour de la frontière et menace de ranimer les anciens conflits entre les loyalistes et les indépendantistes. Ces dernières semaines, la situation a basculé : des émeutes embrasent la région. Sont-elles des événements isolés ou le début d'une nouvelle ère de conflits ? The Independent fait le point sur une situation encore incertaine.
Politicians from across the spectrum have condemned the ongoing outbreak of violence in Northern Ireland following another night of chaos in the province. Boris Johnson said he was “deeply concerned” by further scenes of rioting, and leaders at the Stormont Assembly have been recalled early to discuss the unrest in mainly loyalist areas.
2. A bus was hijacked and set on fire and a press photographer assaulted in Belfast, following attacks on police officers and petrol bombings on the streets over the past week.
3. Many people assumed the success of the peace process in 1990s meant sectarian violence in Northern Ireland was a thing the past. So who is causing the current disorder? And why exactly has it flared up now? 4. The recent violence can be attributed to several factors, but at its heart is anger among loyalists – staunch supporters of the union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland – at post-Brexit trading arrangements which have created a series of economic barriers.
5. For loyalism, the Northern Ireland Protocol appears to have undermined their place in the union, and tensions have been simmering since the consequences of exiting the EU became a reality at the start of January.
YOUNG PROTESTERS
6. In several loyalist areas of Belfast and Derry – largely Protestant, working class and still living with the influence of paramilitary gangs – teenagers and young men have come up onto the streets for sporadic rioting.There have also been bouts of disorder within the largely Catholic areas in recent days. Youths on both sides of a west Belfast peace wall threw petrol bombs and other missiles at each other. 7. Police suspect paramilitary elements are involved in much of the violence seen across the region in recent days, either directly or by orchestrating young people to riot on their behalf. PSNI assistant chief constable Jonathan Roberts said on Thursday it was clear there was “a degree of organisation” behind the recent violence.
8. “It’s [too] early to indicate whether or not any proscribed organisations were involved but it is our assessment that is a likely situation.”
1. spectrum ici, échiquier, paysage politique / ongoing actuel / outbreak montée / deeply profondément, très / concerned préoccupé / further ici, nouvelles (émeutes) / Stormont Assembly siège de l'Assemblée d'Irlande du Nord / unrest troubles, émeutes, agitation / mainly principalement / area zone, quartier.
2. to hijack détourner; ici, prendre d'assaut / to assault agresser / petrol bomb cocktail Molotov.
3. to assume partir du principe que / to mean, meant, meant signifier, impliquer / current actuel / to flare up éclater, exploser.
4. several plusieurs / staunch ardent, farouche / trading commercial.
5. to undermine fragiliser, faire du tort / to simmer bouillonner, être sous-jacent.
6. working class (milieu) ouvrier / still encore, toujours / bout épisode, période / within dans / side côté.
7. to be involved in être impliqué dans / on behalf of au nom de, pour le compte de / PSNI = Police Service of Northern Ireland / chief constable commissaire de police.
8. whether si (oui ou non) / proscribed prohibé / assessment estimation; ici, ... nous estimons... / likely probable.