Talks to end disorder in Northern Ireland
EMERGENCY talks were poised to take place in Northern Ireland yesterday, following a week of violent attacks on police.
In the latest scenes, which took place in west Belfast on Wednesday, a bus was hijacked and set alight; petrol bombs, masonry and fireworks were thrown at officers; a peace wall gate was lit up in flames; and a press photographer was also attacked. The province’s Justice Minister, Naomi Long, said it is a “miracle that no-one was killed”.
Police quelled crowds of 600 people on either side of the peace line and deployed six AEPs, a type of plastic bullet, as well as arresting two men, aged 18 and 28, on suspicion of riotous behaviour.
Secretary of State Brandon Lewis MP was due to arrive in Northern Ireland yesterday to hold emergency talks with the main political parties, as well as with faith and community leaders.
Mr Lewis was due to meet First Minister Arlene Foster, from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), and Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill, from Sinn Fein, last night. He has urged all communities to work together to end the violence, saying the determination to move on from the Troubles could not be “crushed by a small minority”.
Earlier, ministers in the Stormont Executive condemned the violence and Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) unanimously passed a motion calling for an end to the disorder.
In a joint statement, the five-party Executive said: “While our political positions are very different on many issues, we are all united in our support for law and order and we collectively state our support for policing and for the police officers who have been putting themselves in harm’s way to protect others.
“We, and our departments, will continue to work together to maximise the support we can give to communities and the police to prevent further violence and unrest.”
The Stormont Assembly was recalled from Easter recess for an emergency sitting following a motion put forward by Ms Long calling for MLAs to unequivocally condemn those involved and support the rule of law. Speaking during the Assembly debate, DUP leader Mrs Foster said the scenes witnessed were “totally unacceptable”.
The First Minister said the injuries to police officers, harm to Northern Ireland’s image and people’s property had taken the region backwards. She said that the future required political leadership.
Ms O’Neill said the violence was dangerous and unacceptable. She added that illegal loyalist paramilitaries and criminal elements were influencing young people and orchestrating the violence. “They are holding back their own people and they are holding back their own community,” she said.
Assistant Chief Constable Jonathan Roberts said: “The fact that it was sectarian violence involving large groups on both sides is not something we have seen in recent years. We believe there was a level of pre-planning.”
The violence is unfolding at a time of increasing political rancour, not helped by the fall-out from the police’s handling of a mass republican funeral that took place during pandemic restrictions last year.