Rubber bullets fired by Belfast police in worst violence of 15 years

Rubber Bullets- Made in britian and used on british loyalists. Now there's poetic justice if I have ever seen it! Load up boys and take good aim!!!

Proposed caption for paramilitary police photograph above: "PSNI/RUC/RIC/DMP - Making British 'democracy' (?) work in Ireland!" Mind you, flying 'national' (sic) flags for the designated birthdays of dignified functionaries like Cáit's is surely a tad narcissistic, given her reputation for lowering her own bunting. And how degradated working class loyalists in east Belfast can be loyal to an hereditary monarchy of over indulged privileged personae beggars belief. Classes which, if they were planets, wouldn't even be in the same galaxy, given the inequality of material distribution between them. And with all due repsect to her nibs - her silver ju-bil-ee was like a cult of per-son-ality. Sun Myung Moon - with knobs on! What a God forsaken country we've become. One half of the population in thraldom to Papa Razi in Rome. The other in thraldom to Mama Windzi in Baal[im]moral. Either we should all grow up, or they should get married so we can live happily ever after.

A united Ireland sooner than later appears to be on the horizon. Three reasons: 1) The Republic's improving economy, especially with The Gathering. 2) Dwindling economy in NI, especially because of tourist's fear. 3) The UK has just about had it and will ditch The Six with the continued violence by a small, but vocal, brain-dead knuckle-draggers. For God's sake Blessed be the peacemakers!

What a sad sight to see Belfast aflame with petrol bombs after nearly 15 years of relative peace,but its not really so suprising because there is a Loyalist underclass there that has been abandoned by the middle class elected Unionist elite,who have no jobs no future,these sad no hopers have been used by the grand masters of Unionism for years when it suited them,and now being used by the Loyalist UFF and extreme right wing British bigots,lets just hope it dont end in another 30 years of murder and anarchy.

Seano, you're a bit of a bit youself.

pilib04 – “We know who the real Loyalist puppet-masters are, they reside in Windsor Castle and Westminster.” No doubt - ergo the large MI5 moonbase they built in conjunction with the GFA.

Like the photo of the two peelers posing like Bodie and Doyle out of the Professionals, with the Land Rover parked at a dramatic angle in the background.

WE may well have the GFA,but the orange mob have not changed their minds set. They are still a load of racist bigots itching for a fight and a return to their apartheid state.

Hell, why didn't you fly the bloody flag over Xmas so that businesses could make a quid. Idiot Councils, just like over here in OZ. Must be the same all over the world with these councils.

Financial commercial investment will surely diminish if this madness continues.

someone else mentioned London. I too feel it's time for the "Powers that be" in England, to step up to the plate and cut their ties with the 6 counties of Ireland.

It's Funny that when the Fleeg was risen over City Hall this morning no one was there. No fan fare or show of so called pride. I wonder what the protesters are really opposing? Equality???

The very existence of the six county neo-provincinal statlet of Northern (sic) Ireland (NI) is democratically antithetical, something which I believe recent British administrations have been honorable trying to ameliorate. But if you hold an X-ray of pro-British unionism up to the light, you will see its default mechanism is to threaten violence against the state which it ostensibly owes allegience to. And disloyalty to the monarchy it claims to be loyal to. Hence, whilst its police force is armed with paramilitary weaponry. Despite all it's inevitable flaws, the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) is the best show in town. Pro-British unionists need to realise that majorities no longer exist, and they are now just one of three minorities in the currently constituted NI. Fly all three flags - or fly none! Imperialism and genuine democracy are incompatible.

I would agree with Minister Villiers when she says that the protests are doing "huge damage to Northern Ireland's image abroad." Indeed, news coverage of these events have been broadcast here in Toronto on our nightly newscasts leaving many to reconsider their plans for travel to Belfast this coming spring/summer.

America only had to put up with the Union Jack in 1776 & 1812; the Irish have had it in their faces for over 800 years. You want that flag in the northern counties? Then fly it in your own homes. Ireland is not G.B., in spite of your self-accommodating & rationalizing history.