The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) have fired plastic bullets and water cannons at protesters late on Monday during a fifth consecutive night of riots during flag protests in the capital Belfast.
The PSNI were bombarded with weapons, including hatchets and petrol bombs, which were used to attack police officers and their vehicles in east Belfast.
Street demonstrations have been held in Belfast almost every night since 3 December, when the city council announced that it would no longer fly the British flag all year round at the City Hall.
They will only fly the union flag on 17 designated days, including the birthdays of members of the British royal family - the first of which falls on Wednesday, with the birthday of Prince William's wife Catherine.
The decision sparked riots at the start of December which gave way to largely peaceful protests, but the violence has flared again since the start of the new year.
Read more: No reason to allow Union Jacks to fly alone over Belfast any more
Ireland's deputy prime minister Eamon Gilmore called for an end to the violent protests. "These attacks over the past four days are not the mark of legitimate protest but are the actions of a small group who want to bring Northern Ireland back to a darker past," Gilmore said.
Britain's Northern Ireland minister Theresa Villiers said the province was being "held to ransom" by the protesters and called for an end to their demonstrations, including peaceful rallies that have blocked traffic for weeks.
"It's not acceptable that those who say they are defending a Union flag are actually doing it by hurling bricks and petrol bombs at police. It's disgraceful, frankly," she told BBC radio.
She added that the protests were doing "huge damage to Northern Ireland's image abroad."
The flag ruling has raised tensions between loyalists who want to maintain the links to Britain and are mostly Protestant and largely Catholic republicans who want a united Ireland.
PSNI Chief Constable, Matt Baggott, said individual senior loyalist paramilitaries had been involved in orchestrating violence during union flag protests in east Belfast.
Amid deepening tensions in the province, politicians from both sides have received death threats in recent weeks, the National Union of Journalists has confirmed that a reporter in Belfast has been sent a bullet in the post along with a threatening letter.
More than 60 police officers have been injured and over 100 people arrested since the disorder began at the start of December.
The PSNI said four people had been charged in connection with Monday night's disorder and were due to appear in court on Tuesday.
In 1988 a peace agreement brought an end to most of the violence and led to the creation of a power-sharing government between Protestants and Catholics, but bomb threats and murders by dissident republicans still continue.
Loyalists see the council's decision to remove the flag for most of the year as an attack on their British identity and an unacceptable concession to republicans.
The last major loyalist demonstration in the Irish capital sparked rioting and looting in 2006.
Read more: Threats made to Irish serving in British army at Limerick commemoration ceremony
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.IrelandNorth | Jan 11, 2013, 02:34 PM EST
Actually, Norn Iron bank notes are printed by Bank of IRELAND in Donegall Square, while their loose change is British. Could be a profound symbolism in that. The Bank of Ireland is that institution which took over the old Grattan's (Protestant) Parliament (for a landed-gentrified people) in College Green in Dublin. Now ya know where the real power lies, when banks put parliaments int oadministration and receivership. Now they just use greedy banksters in cahoots with a political establishment to collapse a country's otherwise buoyant economy, so as to call in the corporate loan sharkes to make it dependent and submissive. Debt entrapment is the new imperialism. Won't be long before Leinster Hse and Stormont Castle (Ulster Hse) will be on the Freddy Macs and Fanny Mays property portfolio. Funny old world. And tragic too.
IrelandNorth | Jan 11, 2013, 02:34 PM EST
Actually, Norn Iron bank notes are printed by Bank of IRELAND in Donegall Square, while their loose change is British. Could be a profound symbolism in that. The Bank of Ireland is that institution which took over the old Grattan's (Protestant) Parliament (for a landed-gentrified people) in College Green in Dublin. Now ya know where the real power lies, when banks put parliaments int oadministration and receivership. Now they just use greedy banksters in cahoots with a political establishment to collapse a country's otherwise buoyant economy, so as to call in the corporate loan sharkes to make it dependent and submissive. Debt entrapment is the new imperialism. Won't be long before Leinster Hse and Stormont Castle (Ulster Hse) will be on the Freddy Macs and Fanny Mays property portfolio. Funny old world. And tragic too.
seamus60 | Jan 11, 2013, 05:29 AM EST
Apoverend. That might have something to do with the Norther bank, so good they robbed it twice. lol
curtisjohnson | Jan 10, 2013, 08:24 PM EST
Ireland North - “Proposed caption for paramilitary police photograph above: "PSNI/RUC/RIC/DMP - Making British 'democracy' (?) work in Ireland!"” I love it! Alternatively, "The fruits of the unwritten constitution."
seamus60 | Jan 10, 2013, 07:45 PM EST
Even stomping Steven. lol
apoverend | Jan 10, 2013, 06:31 PM EST
I don't think the loyalists realize that Britain doesn't even recognize them anymore. On a recent trip to London, It seems that the British would be happy to not have their flag fly in Belfast. I had some pound notes from N.Ireland and was shocked that they won't accept them in London. I said it is YOUR money and they said that they will except it from Scotland but not from N. Ireland so what does that tell you. They would accept a Euro over their own pound note. It seems that the Britist don't think of N. Ireland as part of them.
seanomelb | Jan 10, 2013, 05:47 PM EST
I remember orange louts taunting nationalist when they(nationalists) were under siege and blasted with rubber bullets. The Irony of it all.
IrelandNorth | Jan 10, 2013, 02:29 PM EST
Rubber bullets were in the bad old daze. Plastic bullets more recently. An improved model of dildo for the British Amry's GOCs wife when he's abroad in Ireland!
stephendoyle | Jan 10, 2013, 02:03 PM EST
From stomping!
seamus60 | Jan 10, 2013, 01:23 PM EST
That should have read " from stumping".
seamus60 | Jan 10, 2013, 01:18 PM EST
This is what happens when so called Republican politicians take the side of the RUC and the OO against Nationalists who are only attempting to keep bigoted march`s stumping through their areas during the marching season.
stephendoyle | Jan 10, 2013, 12:29 PM EST
seamus60 - They can call me whatever they like as they sail off back across the "Paddy" Sea back to britian!
seamus60 | Jan 10, 2013, 12:24 PM EST
Stephan. I myself am deemed a Paddy by the british whether I like it or , Just pointing out that the loyalists ( no friends of mine) will have to learn to live with the fact as well.
stephendoyle | Jan 10, 2013, 11:45 AM EST
LOL, insult the Irish all you like with the term "paddys". I am sure your loyalist friends don't like being called Irish. Let them move to britian so they won't feel the bite of rubber in their arse...........
seamus60 | Jan 10, 2013, 11:37 AM EST
Lets the loyalists know that they`re paddies whether they like it or not. Even if the process of firing this weapon has changed dramatically. Won`t use them on the so called mainland against citizens of any colour or race. But paddies are differant.
stephendoyle | Jan 10, 2013, 10:49 AM EST
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!!!
IrelandNorth | Jan 10, 2013, 03:34 AM EST
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.
SeamusMartin | Jan 09, 2013, 08:47 PM EST
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!
Happyhippo | Jan 09, 2013, 08:35 PM EST
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.
leahkinsella | Jan 09, 2013, 08:09 PM EST
Seano, you're a bit of a bit youself.
curtisjohnson | Jan 09, 2013, 08:05 PM EST
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.
Curitiba | Jan 09, 2013, 05:49 PM EST
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.
seanomelb | Jan 09, 2013, 04:57 PM EST
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.
Aliciarose | Jan 09, 2013, 04:55 PM EST
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.
bunkerisland | Jan 09, 2013, 03:41 PM EST
Financial commercial investment will surely diminish if this madness continues.
myhomenj | Jan 09, 2013, 03:40 PM EST
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.
clevelander | Jan 09, 2013, 02:39 PM EST
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???
IrelandNorth | Jan 09, 2013, 02:34 PM EST
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.
canadianirish | Jan 09, 2013, 01:14 PM EST
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.
kubs | Jan 09, 2013, 12:47 PM EST
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.
johnshiel | Jan 09, 2013, 11:41 AM EST
the loyalist marches were touted last year as attractions for tourists, appropriate displays of cultural heritage, etc... Are these protest as well? And are attempts being made to keep them going until tourist season resumes, for coutinued display of cultural heritage of the area?
cillowen | Jan 09, 2013, 10:42 AM EST
The Planted-NIR-UKers are desperate to hold on to their momma's apron string - such largely Masonic Charlie Chaplin lookers are a sight to behold. Mitchell's knighting was precious, in making peace reign. In Spain its mainly on the plain.
pilib04 | Jan 09, 2013, 10:38 AM EST
There needs to be an immediate end to the flag riots, the violent attacks on the Short Strand (Nationalist enclave) and the PSNI. Presumably the police are at their breaking point after enduring these attacks nightly following "peaceful protests" that have only served as a cover for the violence. The residents of the Short Strand have also endured these attacks. It is obvious that the UVF objective is to attempt to instigate a renewal of the war. The real question is why has London been so quiet. They have opinion on everything. Yet, when rioters wrapped in Union Jacks, attack police, Elizabeth and Cameron are silent. We know who the real Loyalist puppet-masters are, they reside in Windsor Castle and Westminster.
Nelsonbarry | Jan 09, 2013, 09:41 AM EST
Why not fly both flags. Let both have pride in their country.