BELFAST (CU)_A bus was set on fire after being pelted with petrol bombs in Northern Ireland’s capital of Belfast as loyalists and nationalists clashed during a night of chaos in the European nation. According to the Police Federation, at least seven officers have been injured during the riots as they were attacked with stones by the demonstrators.
United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Twitter that he is “deeply concerned” over the state of affairs, as hundreds continue their protests on the streets of Belfast.
“I am deeply concerned by the scenes of violence in Northern Ireland, especially attacks on PSNI who are protecting the public and businesses, attacks on a bus driver and the assault of a journalist,” he tweeted. “The way to resolve differences is through dialogue, not violence or criminality.”
Irish premier Micheal Martin also took it to Twitter to criticised the violent attacks on the police and a journalist, and called on the two governments to work together to defuse tensions and restore calm. Meanwhile, members of the Stormont Executive have also been urged to speak with a united voice, denouncing the riots which has erupted chaos and violence in the capital city.
The power-sharing administration has gathered to discuss the escalating public order situation, while the Stormont Assembly has also being recalled for an emergency sitting to debate the state of affairs.
Riots are being carried out across Northern Ireland, as demonstrators call on PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne to resign over how his service dealt with the funeral of former IRA leader Bobby Storey, an event which drew 2,000 people on to the streets.
Police Federation chair Mark Lindsay has expressed his concern over the Chief Constable’s future, as he calls on the executive to stand in support of law and order.
“I think the Executive need to stand together and need to make very, very firm statements around where they stand in the support in law and order,” he told BBC Radio Ulster.
“They cannot differentiate between supporting the Chief Constable and supporting officers on the ground… Policing needs leadership, it needs a Chief Constable, and really in the middle of a crisis this isn’t terribly helpful.”
He added that removing Byrne at this stage would not be ideal for the police force.
Reports show that a total of more than 40 police officers have sustained injuries in the recent past during outbreaks of disorder in various parts of Northern Ireland, amid tensions over Brexit’s Irish Sea trade border. Therefore, the incident this mass republican funeral, which took place during the pandemic has added fuel to the chaos and violence in the country.
