Nineteen officers have been injured in the ongoing riots in Northern Ireland. The total number of officers injured by the riots last week thus rises to 74, local media report.
Despite calls for calm by politicians, the streets of Belfast were again ravaged by rioters on Thursday evening, who threw stones, fireworks and Molotov cocktails at riot police, among other things. In addition to the nineteen officers, a police dog was also injured. A water cannon was used for the first time in years.
Irish nationalists and pro-British loyalists alike have been involved in the worst turmoil of recent years. Brexit has caused tensions in the region. In addition, there is dissatisfaction with the decision of the authorities not to prosecute leaders of the nationalist party for violating corona rules.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed his concerns about the situation on Wednesday evening. “I am deeply concerned about the violence in Northern Ireland,” he wrote Twitter. “Disputes are solved through dialogue, not violence or crime.”
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