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Loyalist riots continue in Northern Ireland over banning of Union Jack

Eight police officers injured in violent clashes across the North

JAMES O'SHEA,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Saturday, December 8, 2012, 7:50 AM

Updated Saturday, December 8, 2012, 7:50 AM

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Loyalist protesters rioted for a fourth night in Northern Ireland over the removal of the Union Jack from Belfast City Hall.

Photo by Google Images

Loyalist protesters rioted for a fourth night in Northern Ireland over the removal of the Union Jack from Belfast City Hall.

Eight police officers were injured in the riots across the North in clashes with riot police.

The riots began when Belfast City Council voted for flying the Union Jack on only fifteen days a year instead of every day.

A further demonstration is planned for Belfast today at 1 pm at the city center.

Six officers were injured near Crumlin Road in Belfast.

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Will Kerr appealed for calm and for peaceful demonstrations.

“The risk to the public safety of all of those involved is simply too great,” he said.

Police officers were attacked with pelted with stones, bricks, bottles and missiles. A number of cars were also hijacked and set on fire.

Businesses are worried that the riots will affect the busiest trading days of the year.

Nster.com

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14 Comments

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seamus60 | Dec 10, 2012, 12:58 PM EST

Those protesters caught breaking their own laws should be sent to England to live and work for 6 months. They will return home in the knowledge that they are bPADDIES whether they like it or not.

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curtisjohnson | Dec 09, 2012, 04:27 PM EST

How appropriate that a community of supremacist thugs is the most prominent of what it means to be "british."

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seamus60 | Dec 09, 2012, 03:51 PM EST

Pilib04. Ironic that that those british living in Ireland feel the need to present themselves as more British than the Brits.

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martin | Dec 09, 2012, 01:22 PM EST

Very poor report, The flag was never banned. This is a some thing we would expect from the english tabloids.

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exbelfastboy | Dec 09, 2012, 11:30 AM EST

The ALLIANCE party is the BEST thing ever to happen to Northern Ireland. They will bring Northern Ireland into the 21st century and DESERVE the support of all law-abiding citizens.

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Sparklet | Dec 09, 2012, 08:11 AM EST

They never have been great on compromise.

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FallsRNat | Dec 09, 2012, 06:23 AM EST

The English will be free of Scotland if they go independent & the irish problem will fall to both Ireland & Scotland to fund the Ulster problem themselves, as the level of sectarian imidation is on the increase noth of the border, think of all the Ulster loving prods & any UI will go out of the window, there have only ever been 2 solutions to the Ulster condundrum & that is either the UK & ROI coexist peacefully in a federation of states sharing common socio economic, defence ideals or the ulster scots are repatriated back to scotland & the irish catholics in scotland are repatriated to Ulster. The 1st is a viable idea, the 2nd, well if we are repatriating people who have lived in a country for 400 years, the Australia, NZ, US immigrants would have to leave & return the lands to the indigeousness peoples, somehow, i can't see people agreeing to that

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oldboreen | Dec 09, 2012, 05:51 AM EST

just a minute James O'Shea, the Union FLAG (not'Jack'incidentally)has NOT been 'banned' from Belfast City Hall. It will still fly 17 days a year. And no, I'm not a Loyalist, I am however a fan of accurate reporting!

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curtisjohnson | Dec 08, 2012, 10:13 PM EST

" I wonder what might happen say if Scotland leaves the Union in 2014" Hopefully it is followed by the seccession of Wales, Cornwall, Devon and ultimately the reunification of Ireland.

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curtisjohnson | Dec 08, 2012, 10:09 PM EST

4 days in so many police injuries, No arrests?? mmm psni seem no different to the old mob" Yes, een a peaceful indigenous protest on this scale would trigger plastic bullets, beatings, and incarceration with torture/interogation and forced confessions.

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darragh S | Dec 08, 2012, 08:41 PM EST

I wonder what might happen say if Scotland leaves the Union in 2014. Will the Union Jack no longer be significant. Strategy wise I can see that pulling a stunt like this now rather than waiting for the outcome of that referendum in Scotland is a good one. Nothing like violent resentment of change to bolster your position unless of course its someone else doing that to you.

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maireadinmelb | Dec 08, 2012, 05:23 PM EST

4 days in so many police injuries, No arrests?? mmm psni seem no different to the old mob!

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pilib04 | Dec 08, 2012, 01:10 PM EST

A democratic vote on a compromise, to put flag usage in line with that of Stormont, England, Wales and Scotland leads to nightly riots among Loyalists and (according to the PSNI) led by paramilitaries.

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cillowen | Dec 08, 2012, 12:52 PM EST

Mcilroy and his merry band of charlie chaplin planted need to return to their Saxon motheland. full stop.

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