A second night of violence in Belfast saw police attacked with petrol bombs, bricks, bottles, stones and fireworks, following the city’s Orange Order parades.
Police officers were attacked and cars were set alight in Ardoyne, a district in the north of the city, which has been a hotspot for sectarian clashes in the past.
Every year on 12 July, members of the Protestant Orange orders walk the streets to commemorate the Protestant victory of King William II of Orange over the Catholic King James II in the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Clashes often take place as they pass through Catholic, nationalist areas.
A nationalist protest march was held to coincide with the loyal order parade. Unrest also spread to other parts of Belfast.
Twenty-two police officers were injured riots on Monday night, however Assistant Chief Constable Alistair Finlay said most of the parades were peaceful.
Finlay condemned the “pockets” of violence as “totally unacceptable”, according to Agence France-Presse.
Last night, police in riot gear fired water canons and baton rounds to try to disperse crowds after masked youths attacked their lines.
According to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), several officers were injured and a local photographer was hit by a baton round.
North Belfast Democratic Unionist MP Nigel Dodds told the Telegraph: “These people have been intent on attacking the police and wreaking havoc in their own community.
“Such violence is senseless and has clearly nothing to do with protesting against a parade but is just futile rioting.”
The police told The Telegraph that they restored calm to the area in the early hours of the morning. They said five arrests have been made in Belfast on suspicion of riotous behaviour.
There were also disturbances in Londonderry, Armagh City, Ballymena and Co Antrim.
