WHAT’S THE STORY?

AFTER days of violence, Northern Ireland’s Executive yesterday issued a strong appeal for an end to trouble on the streets after it was revealed that 55 police officers have been injured in a week of rioting. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said rioting in west Belfast on Wednesday night was on a scale not seen for years.

Seven police officers were injured that night after serious trouble broke out on the Lanark Way interface between the loyalist and nationalist communities in Belfast.

After a night in which petrol bombs were thrown and a bus was set on fire, Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill said members of the Executive are “gravely concerned” about the violence and called for calm. Supported by members from all parties, she said: “Attacks on police officers, public services and communities are deplorable and they must stop. Destruction, violence and the threat of violence are completely unacceptable and unjustifiable, no matter what concerns may exist in communities.”

It added: “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 the police officers who have been putting themselves in harm’s way to protect others.”

A RARE SHOW OF UNANIMITY THEN?

YES, but no sooner had the Executive issued the statement than the recalled Assembly began one of its usual tit-for-tat sessions, with Unionists and nationalists blaming each other for the trouble while the smaller parties interjected with sensible but ignored comments.

Eventually they agreed a unanimous condemnation of the violence but whether that will transmit to the troublemakers remains to be seen.

HOW DID IT ALL START AND WHO REALLY IS TO BLAME?

IT was the loyalist side which started this recent bout of trouble. Battered by Covid-19 and increasing hardship, they were already protesting against the Northern Ireland Protocol and the Irish Sea border imposed on them by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

And then news came through that the Public Prosecutor was taking no action against the Sinn Fein leadership, including Michelle O’Neill, over alleged breaches of the Covid-19 regulations when they attended the funeral last summer of ex-IRA man turned party chairman and peace promoter Bobby Storey.

The Unionist view was summed up by a statement from the Orange Order which spoke of “the growing resentment and anger within the broad Unionist community caused by both the imposition of the NI Protocol and recent criminal justice decisions surrounding the Storey funeral held in June 2020”.

There is some evidence that loyalist paramilitaries encouraged the violence and older men could be seen egging on children to throw stones and even petrol bombs. There are also claims that criminal gangs are fomenting violence after a PSNI crackdown on their activities.

First Minister Arlene Foster had called for the resignation of PSNI chief Simon Byrne, a move which also did not calm things down.

When the violence began at the Lanark Way interface, it was clear that the conflict had become sectarian in nature, sparking fears of a return to the Troubles.

WHAT IS THE UK GOVERNMENT SAYING AND DOING?

Boris Johnson said he was “extremely concerned” but the Government have rejected any suggestion that it could have started this latest trouble.

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis flew to Belfast for urgent talks with the Executive which was only re-formed early last year after a period in abeyance when the two main parties, the DUP and Sinn Fein, could not agree to jointly govern.

Lewis said: “All communities in Northern Ireland must work together to resolve the tensions that we are currently facing. The people of Northern Ireland deserve better than a continuation of the violence and disorder that we have witnessed ... I know, from my ongoing contact with party leaders, that this is a view that is shared by all.

“Those engaged in this destruction and disorder do not represent Northern Ireland.”

Irish premier Micheal Martin and Johnson have made a joint call for calm after the pair spoke over the phone yesterday. A statement from the Irish government said: “The way forward is through dialogue and working the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement.

They agreed to continue to stay in contact.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?

Much will depend on local community leaders. The Good Friday Agreement is too precious to too many people in Northern Ireland for it to be lost, but political leadership from Westminster and Stormont has so far been found to be lacking and there is real danger of the violence escalating.