Two Nights of Rioting in East Belfast

New riots have broken out between rival nationalist and loyalist groups in Belfast last night. For the second night running, missiles were thrown by rival gangs in the Mountpottinger and Albert Bridge areas in the east of Northern Ireland's capital city.
Three police vehicles were damaged during the trouble near the interface with the nationalist Short Strand area in east Belfast.

The rioting involved up to a hundred youths at its height, and continued intermittently for several hours, forcing the closure of a number of roads. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said that it had not established what sparked the clashes.

The PSNI also warned motorists to stay clear of the effected areas, as both the extent of the violence and the numbers of people involved increased. Politicians from all sides of the political spectrum have condemned the violent clashes.

The Emerald Islander