Northern Ireland's flashpoints remain calm today after twenty police officers were injured in disturbances in west Belfast last night. The riot followed an Orange parade in the area, but on the whole Twelfth celebrations passed without major incident.
Violence erupted near the Springfield Road where officers were pelted with missiles and had up to 100 petrol bombs thrown at them. They responded by firing 26 baton rounds. Twenty officers were hurt but their injuries are not life-threatening, a PSNI spokesman said.
There were some minor disturbances in the Ardoyne area in the north of the city where an Orange parade returned yesterday evening. Bottles and stones were thrown when loyalist supporters accompanying the Orange Lodges and bands taunted a large crowd of nationalist protestors.
Sinn Fein North Belfast MLA Mr Gerry Kelly remonstrated with members of the crowd who wanted to attack the security forces after the parade passed.
Earlier, Mr Kelly had appealed to the crowd to stay calm, claiming that police warnings of major violence was an attempt to lure nationalists into a trap.
Sinn Féin councillor Mr Tom Hartley claimed the police response to the Nationalist protest on the Springfield Road was very "heavy-handed" and claimed a number of people were struck by police batons needlessly.
On Thursday night the PSNI's Assistant Chief Constable said a major riot had been organised by republicans in the area. Yesterday a "variety of missiles" was seized on the roofs of the Ardoyne shops.
Nationalist SDLP councillor Ms Margaret Walsh claimed a pregnant woman had been struck by a police officer in the initial attack.
She said: "There were some stones thrown but then the police charged and began hitting everyone in front of them.
"A pregnant woman who was right beside me was definitely one of the people struck by a police officer." More Orange Order marches take place later today. Meanwhile, security forces begin taking down the security barrier set up to prevent the Orange Order marching down the nationalist Garvaghy Road in Portadown, Co Armagh.
(Additional reporting PA)
