Sectarian violence was rekindled in Northern Ireland on Saturday night as police were attacked with petrol bombs following a pro-unionist demonstration that took place in the city.
At least 10 police officers were injured in Londonderry on Saturday evening after they came under assault by a reported group of Irish nationalist youths during “several hours of disorder” on Nailors Row.
So far, police have made one arrest in connection to the incident, however, between Friday and Saturday evening, police made 31 arrests amid amid a broader outbreak of violence in the city, the Derry Journal reports.
In a statement, Derry City & Strabane Superintendent William Calderwood said: “The scenes we witnessed were disgusting, and I want to commend our officers for their professionalism. These were difficult conditions for officers from across numerous departments.
“To see our officers injured as a result of this violence is appalling. It is completely unacceptable.”
The fire-bombings came after the Apprentice Boys Relief of Derry parade took place in the city, an annual celebration that marks the anniversary of the end of the Siege of Derry in 1689, in which the local Protestants successfully fended off the Catholic Jacobite forces of James II.
The parade, which saw over 5,000 members of the Apprentice Boys take part as well as 130 bands, is a significant date on the calendar for local unionists in Northern Ireland — also known as Ulster — who favour remaining a part of the United Kingdom rather than joining with the Republic of Ireland to the south.
Londonderry was one of the main epicentres of the decades-long conflict known as The Troubles between Irish nationalists and pro-British unionists, with many claiming that the city was the location for the first major act of the conflict, the so-called Battle of the Bogside following the same Apprentice Boys parade in 1969.
While the incidents on Nailors Row were unrelated to the wider anti-mass migration protests and riots which have swept across the UK, including in Northern Ireland, over the past two weeks, the police did report some suspected ethnically-inspired attacks in the city on Saturday.
According to the PSNI, a mosque on Greenwell Street in Newtownards was attacked with a failed petrol bomb and alleged racist graffiti was written on the building. There were also two instances of cars being set on fire which police are treating as being “racially motivated”.
Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Melanie Jones said: “We continue to investigate all reports made to us in relation to the recent disorder on our streets and we will be making further arrests. The outpouring of support from our communities for their Muslim neighbours has been heartening and more accurately reflects the views of most of the citizens of Northern Ireland.”
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