2013 Belfast riots
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9 August 2013
- At least 88 police officers injured
- At least two civilians injured
- Extra police officers deployed in Northern Ireland
- Around 200 arrests
| 2013 Belfast riots | |
|---|---|
| Date | 12–17 July 2013 9 August 2013 |
| Location | Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Methods | Demonstrations, rioting |
| Resulted in |
|
The 2013 Belfast riots was a series of riots taking place in Belfast in Northern Ireland. They came months after the Belfast City Hall flag protests ignited rioting.
Rioting broke out following the 12 July Orange Order parade, when local Orangemen were barred from returning via their traditional route via the main Crumlin Road passing the Catholic-populated Ardoyne in north Belfast, which ignited protests from loyalists. Trouble also spread to south and east Belfast.[1]
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) fired about 20 plastic baton rounds at rioters and used two mobile water cannons. For several hours they dealt with loyalists and nationalists exchanging missiles across the police line, and at one point a group of loyalists used ceremonial swords to attack the police lines. Nigel Dodds, the unionist MP for Belfast North, was injured and hospitalised when struck in the head by a missile when he was trying to negotiate with police officers in Woodvale Avenue. 32 officers were hurt.[2]
The PSNI Chief Constable called 400 extra police officers from England, Scotland and Wales to deal with the situation - more than 600 from the British mainland were already supporting the PSNI beforehand. It was an unprecedented move - in the past, and during the Troubles, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) never called in extra police but used the British Army soldiers, who withdrew from Northern Ireland in 2007.[2] By the end of August, 106 arrests were made and 77 were charged.[3]