BELFAST (AP) – Youth gangs threw stones and fireworks at Belfast police, who fired water cannons as violence erupted again in the streets of Northern Ireland.
Anxiety has erupted over the past week amid tensions over post-Brexit trade rules and worsening relations between parties in the Protestant Catholic government that share power in Belfast.
The latest violence on Thursday came despite calls from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin and US President Joe Biden to ease tensions.
Police officers holding riot gear were dispersed with rockets before officers were charged with rioting with dogs. Police also used water cannons to disperse the crowds.
Earlier in the day, the Northern Ireland Assembly unanimously passed a motion calling for an end to the disorder, and the government in the power-sharing region condemned the violence.
“While our political positions are very different in many respects, we are all united in supporting the law and order and collectively declaring our support for the police and police officers who have been endangered in order to protect the others “, the leaders of the five-party government, said in a joint statement.
“We and our departments will continue to work together to maximize the support we can give to communities and (the Northern Ireland Police Service) to prevent further violence and unrest.”
Northern Ireland has seen sporadic outbreaks of street violence since the Good Friday peace agreement of 1998 ended the “Problems” – decades of Catholic-Protestant bloodshed over the status of the region where more than 3,000 people have died.
Britain’s separation from the EU has highlighted the disputed status of Northern Ireland, where some people identify as British and want to remain part of the UK, while others consider themselves Irish and seek unity with the EU’s neighboring Republic of Ireland.