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First Minister Peter Robinson demands end to 'mobocracy' as UDA calls protests counter-productive
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First Minister Peter Robinson
Riot police stand next to a burned out car after loyalist protesters attacked police lines in east Belfast
Loyalists attack the police as the protesters make their way back to east Belfast past the nationalist Short Strand
Loyalists clash with PSNI officers on the Newtownards road in east Belfast this afternoon.
Loyalists react after being attacked by nationalists throwing stones from the nationalist Short Strand area of Belfast
Loyalists clash with PSNI officers on the Newtownards road in east Belfast this afternoon.
A police officer is injured after loyalist protesters attacked police lines at the Albertbridge Road near the nationalist Short Strand area of Belfast
Loyalists clash with PSNI officers on the Newtownards road in east Belfast this afternoon.
The Union flag demonstration at Belfast City Hall today.
The Union flag demonstration at Belfast City Hall today.
A PSNI officer is treated after being injured following rioting which occurred after Saturday's Union flag protest in Belfast city centre.
A PSNI officer is treated after being injured following rioting which occurred after Saturday's Union flag protest in Belfast city centre.
A PSNI officer is treated after being injured following rioting which occurred after Saturday's Union flag protest in Belfast city centre.
Loyalists protesters march through Belfast city centre
Rangers fans show their support to the Union flag protesters in Belfast during the Irn Bru Scottish Third Division match at Ibrox, Glasgow.
Lynne Cameron
Loyalists protesters march through Belfast city centre
Willie Frazer pictured at Belfast City Hall.
A peace protester pictured at Belfast City Hall before the loyalist protest arrived.
A PSNI officer is injured during rioting in the Newtownards Road area of east Belfast on Saturday afternoon as a loyalist flag parade returned from Belfast City Hall.
Loyalist leader Billy Hutchinson on the Newtownards Road on Saturday afternoon
A loyalist pictured in east Belfast after Saturday's flag protest at City Hall
A loyalist protester at Belfast City Hall during Saturday's flag protest
A loyalist pictured in east Belfast after Saturday's flag protest at City Hall
A loyalist woman wheels a child through police lines on East Bridge Street as the protest makes its way back to east Belfast.
Loyalists attack police at the bottom of Castlereagh Street.
PSNI officers pictured at the bottom of Castlereagh Street.
Loyalists protesters pictured at Belfast City Hall on Saturday afternoon.
A injured police man is helped by a colleague after trouble broke out following Saturday's Union flag protest.
Loyalist youths confront police at the bottom of Castlereagh Street.
Loyalists protesters pictured at Belfast City Hall.
Loyalists protesters pictured at Belfast City Hall.
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Saturday's Union flag protest at Belfast City Hall.
Loyalist protesters make their way through the city centre to east Belfast.
Loyalists attack the police as the protesters make their way back to east Belfast past the nationalist Short Strand
General view of disturbances in O'Neill's Road, Newtownabbey last night
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
Loyalists carry out a protest in Great Victoria Street, Belfast last night
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
Loyalists carryi out a protest on Great Victoria Street, Belfast last night
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
Loyalists carry out a protest in the Sandy Row are of south Belfast last night
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
Loyalists carryi out a protest on Great Victoria Street, Belfast last night
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
Loyalists carry out a protest in the Sandy Row are of south Belfast last night
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
Loyalists carry out a protest in the Sandy Row area of south Belfast last night
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 11th January 2013 - General view of Loyalists carrying out a protest in the Sandy Row are of south Belfast this evening.Loyalists have been protesting across Northern Ireland after Belfast City Council restricted the number of days the Union Flag can fly over Belfast City Hall.Picture by Kelvin Byes / Press Eye.
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
Nick Williams goes over to score for Ulster, tackled by Glasgow's Josh Strauss
Darren Kidd
Ulster's Nick Williams celebrates scoring his try
©INPHO/Presseye/Darren Kidd
Ulster's Jared Payne celebrates scoring a late try with Paul Marshall
©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
Jared Payne scores for Ulster
Darren Kidd
Ulster's Craig Gilroy is tackled by Glasgow's Tom Ryder and Duncan Weir
Darren Kidd
Ulster's Tom Court celebrates after the game
©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
General view of disturbances in O'Neill's Road, Newtownabbey last night
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
Loyalists carry out a protest in the Sandy Row area of south Belfast last night
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 11th January 2013 - General view of disturbances in O'Neills Road Newtownabbey this evening.Loyalists have been protesting across Northern Ireland after Belfast City Council restricted the number of days the Union Flag can fly over Belfast City Hall.Picture by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
General view of disturbances in O'Neill's Road, Newtownabbey last night
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
General view of disturbances in O'Neill's Road, Newtownabbey last night
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
General view of disturbances in O'Neill's Road, Newtownabbey last night
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
General view of disturbances in O'Neill's Road, Newtownabbey last night
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
General view of disturbances in O'Neill's Road, Newtownabbey last night
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 11th January 2013 - General view of disturbances in O'Neills Road Newtownabbey this evening.Loyalists have been protesting across Northern Ireland after Belfast City Council restricted the number of days the Union Flag can fly over Belfast City Hall.Picture by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
General view of disturbances in O'Neill's Road, Newtownabbey last night
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
General view of disturbances in O'Neill's Road, Newtownabbey last night
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
General view of disturbances in O'Neill's Road, Newtownabbey last night
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
General view of disturbances in O'Neill's Road, Newtownabbey last night
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
General view of disturbances in O'Neill's Road, Newtownabbey last night
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
General view of disturbances in O'Neill's Road, Newtownabbey last night
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
General view of disturbances in O'Neill's Road, Newtownabbey last night
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
General view of disturbances in O'Neill's Road, Newtownabbey last night
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
Loyalists carryi out a protest on Great Victoria Street, Belfast last night
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
Loyalists carry out a protest in the Sandy Row area of south Belfast last night
Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
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Peter Robinson has sent his strongest message yet calling for Union flag protests to stop as they are now “synonymous with violence”.
Writing exclusively for Monday’s Belfast Telegraph, the DUP leader branded the violence as “mobocracy” and warned of the deep damage it is causing to unionism.
Mr Robinson’s plea comes after a weekend of fierce rioting engulfed parts of Newtownabbey and east Belfast. The UDA leadership in east Belfast joined calls for a halt to the protests after Saturday’s violence left 29 police officers injured. The worst rioting since the flag row began in early December erupted in east Belfast on Saturday after an estimated 500 people staged a flag protest at Belfast City Hall.
Clashes broke out between loyalists returning from the city centre protest and nationalists living in Short Strand. These were broken up by police, who braved bricks, fireworks and other missiles thrown from the crowd. They responded with water cannon and baton rounds in sustained rioting which went on for several hours.
Mr Robinson said: “In the past it was republicans who claimed that Northern Ireland was a failed political entity. Why on earth would any sensible unionist seek to prove them right through violence, disorder and attacks on the police?”
PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott said four of the 29 officers injured on Saturday had to be hospitalised.
Referring to the route taken by many protesters past the Short Strand interface, the PSNI said a preferred route over the Queen’s Bridge had been agreed during “significant engagement with representatives from all communities”. A police statement said trouble began, however, after the “vast majority of the crowd broke away” from this agreed route.
“At this stage many put on masks and covered their faces,” a statement said. “The police came under attack from bricks, stones and missiles.” Mr Baggott paid tribute to his officers. “This was a difficult operation dealing with a large number of people determined to cause disorder and violence.
“My colleagues brought the situation under control with exceptional courage and professionalism. I know the vast majority of people will be grateful for their efforts.” On Sunday night, loyalists staged just one protest, blocking the Albertbridge Road and Castlereagh Street, but there was no trouble.
Speaking in an interview with Radio Ulster, senior UDA figure Jimmy Birch said loyalists “were playing into the hands of Sinn Fein”. He added: “Every time they call a tune, we take to the streets.
“We are wrecking our own areas, we fight with the police, we are burning our own cars and we stop our own people going to work and disrupt our own people's way of life.”
After two days of widespread violence and disruption — coming on the back of 40 days of protests since Belfast City Council decided to fly the Union flag on designated days only — around a thousand people attended a peace rally at City Hall on Sunday.
Snow Patrol lead singer Gary Lightbody on Sunday night tweeted: “Big respect to those who were at the peace rally in Belfast today. Peace and love to all in Northern Ireland. My heart's there always. x.”
Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce has now called an urgent meeting with retailers to discuss the damage the protests are causing to the economy.
Mr Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness are due to meet the British and Irish governments this week.
Belfast Telegraph
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