Northern Ireland: Police attacked with petrol bombs as riots and disorder continue

Violence erupted in loyalist parts of Northern Ireland for yet another successive night amid anger over Brexit and policing a formerly senior IRA figure's funeral. According to The Independent, three cars were hijacked and set ablaze in Newtownabbey near the capital Belfast. As police stepped into cordon off the area, several masked men vandalised armoured police vehicles throwing petrol bombs and other projectiles.

Derry, where the violence continued for the fifth consecutive night, officials reported serious injuries. Belfast also reported a similar situation. Speaking to The Independent, the city’s Chief Superintendent Simon Walls, revealed that the rioters threw “heavy masonry, metal rods, fireworks and manhole covers” at police in a “sustained attack”, with officers suffering “burns, head and leg injuries”. 

Region's Riots 

Riots in Northern Ireland first emerged in Derry on March 30 after loyalist communities voiced their angst on post-Brexit trade agreements, which they said created a divide between the region and the rest of the UK. Turbulence also surged following the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s (PSNI) decision not to punish two dozen Sinn Fein politicians who – despite tight restrictions as a result of Covid-19 – attended the funeral of the former head of IRA intelligence, Bobby Storey. The turbulence soon spread to other parts including Belfast and Newtownabbey, where rioters took violent measures. 

On April 4, the Police Federation for Northern Ireland called for an end to the violence and said people destroying their own communities was “not the way to protest or vent.” Echo the department's stance, the region's first minister, Arlene Foster, has urged young people not to “get drawn into disorder” and refrain from attacking police. 

Last month, British PM Boris Johnson announced an extension in the grace periods to British Supermarket suppliers and businesses trading in Northern Ireland by relaxing procedures and checks until October. This was perceived to be in violation of the Northern Ireland Protocol agreement, which was inked between the EU and the UK as a part of the Brexit withdrawal plan. As per the Agreements, both parties had agreed to keep Northern Ireland a part of the EU's single Market implying that all the goods arriving from the UK mainland required to undergo EU Import Procedures. 

(Image Credits, Inputs: AP)