New night of riots in Belfast

Residents had gathered on the Springfield Road last night to keep watch following an outbreak of heavy loyalist rioting which threatened to break through into nationalist estates on Wednesday.

A tense but calm group of residents had gathered on the Springfield Road this Thursday evening to keep watch following an outbreak of heavy loyalist rioting which threatened to break through into nationalist estates on Wednesday.

After launching waves of intense petrol bomb attacks at the peace line before smashing through the steel barricades on Lanark Way with burning vehicles, a number of nationalists were taken to hospital with injuries caused by objects thrown from the loyalist side.

Loyalist paramilitaries also set fire to a hijacked bus and attacked a press photographer. Fearful of a potential rerun tonight, Springfield residents were shocked to instead face a confrontation by the PSNI from the other direction.

On Thursday night a battalion of armoured vehicles advanced on nationalist residents in a highly intimidatory manner, flanked by riot police in full body armour and attack dogs.

They succeeded in drawing a response from a group of stone-throwing teenagers who dispersed when the PSNI deployed their dogs. Water cannon were then directed at the youths who dodged the jets as one or two fireworks were thrown.

Under cover of dark, the PSNI mounted charges and snatch operations against the small number of republican youths who remained on the scene, but without major incident.

The situation could have ended more seriously were it not for community leaders' effort to discourage young nationalists from responding to the provocation.