Charles McQuillan / Getty Images
Originally published on April 8, 2021 3:29 pm
The government of Northern Ireland is holding an emergency meeting on Thursday following days of unrest reminiscent of The Troubles that plagued the region for decades.
The latest violence in Belfast has erupted amid anger from Protestant unionists concerned they re being isolated from the United Kingdom and pushed into a union with the republic of Ireland due to post-Brexit trade rules.
For about a week now, young people in the city have torched vehicles and hurled bricks, fireworks and Molotov cocktails at police officers. In the past few days, youths have started throwing them over a concrete barrier, known as the peace wall, that separates a Protestant neighborhood from a Catholic area.
Nightly outbreaks of street violence in Northern Ireland must stop before somebody is killed, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said on Thursday, calling on political and community leaders to work together to ease tension.
Members of the public walk past the remains of a burnt out bus on the loyalist Shankill Road in Belfast, after it was set on fire during a night of violence.
Photo: AFP
The region s devolved government will hold an emergency meeting later on Thursday to be briefed on an escalation of rioting overnight with sectarian clashes, continued attacks on police and the setting alight of a hijacked bus.
Image credit: Charles McQuillan
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The government of Northern Ireland is holding an emergency meeting on Thursday following days of unrest reminiscent of “The Troubles” that plagued the region for decades.
The latest violence in Belfast has erupted amid anger from Protestant unionists concerned they’re being isolated from the U.K. and pushed into a union with the republic of Ireland due to post-Brexit trade rules.
UPDATE 1-N Ireland clashes must stop before someone gets killed msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Northern Ireland: Why has violence broken out - and why now? iwradio.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from iwradio.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.