The 2011 Northern Ireland riots were a series of riots between 20 June 2011 and 16 July 2011, starting originally in
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
, before spreading to other parts of
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
. They were initiated by the
Ulster Volunteer Force
The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) is an Ulster loyalist paramilitary group. Formed in 1965, it first emerged in 1966. Its first leader was Gusty Spence, a former British Army soldier from Northern Ireland. The group undertook an armed campaig ...
.
June riots
The sectarian violence began around 21:00 BST on the night of Monday 20 June, when a large number of
loyalists
Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...
made their way from the unionist Mount and Castlereagh Street areas to the
nationalist
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...
Short Strand
The Short Strand ( ga, an Trá Ghearr) is a working class, inner city area of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is a mainly Catholic and Irish nationalist enclave surrounded by the mainly Protestant and unionist East Belfast. It is on the east ba ...
enclave.BBC – Belfast violence flares again as police attacked This provoked a response from the nationalists. The
Police Service of Northern Ireland
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI; ga, Seirbhís Póilíneachta Thuaisceart Éireann; Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster-Scots: ')
is the police, police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabu ...
(PSNI) Assistant Chief Constable Alistair Finlay said that around 500–600 people were involved in the rioting.RTE – Call for urgent talks in Belfast communities According to the PSNI, the riots are said to have been initially instigated by the
Ulster Volunteer Force
The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) is an Ulster loyalist paramilitary group. Formed in 1965, it first emerged in 1966. Its first leader was Gusty Spence, a former British Army soldier from Northern Ireland. The group undertook an armed campaig ...
(UVF).UTV -UVF 'organised' east Belfast riot
The clashes saw various dangerous objects such as petrol bombs, bricks, bottles, fireworks and smoke bombs thrown by both sides in what police described as "high-level, life-threatening, organised, serious and sustained" attack by people "hell-bent on disorder". At one point six shots were fired from the nationalist Short Strand area followed by about five shots from the loyalist Pitt Park. Two shots hit a police
Land Rover
Land Rover is a British brand of predominantly four-wheel drive, off-road capable vehicles, owned by multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. JLR currently builds Land Rovers ...
in what the PSNI claimed was attempted murder of their officers. One officer suffered eye injuries when a laser pen was being used to blind officers.
The riots in Short Strand were described by politicians as the worst violence in the area in a decade.
On the Tuesday night, during further clashes between unionists and nationalists, about 700 people were involved. A photographer was shot in the leg by a gunman firing from the nationalist area, which police blamed on
dissident republicans
Dissident republicans, renegade republicans, anti-Agreement republicans or anti-ceasefire republicans ( ga, poblachtach easaontach) are Irish republicans who do not support the current peace agreements in Northern Ireland. The agreements follo ...
.BBC – Belfast flashpoint largely quiet after day of talksBBC – Police say dissidents behind photographer shooting
By Wednesday 22 June, discussions were held between community representatives, politicians, and loyalist and nationalist figures. The result was for both sides to police their communities to avoid further violence. Later that night the area was largely peaceful despite unionist and nationalist groups – held back by community marshals – being involved for several hours in a stand-off at the Mountpottinger Road end of the Short Strand until around 01:30 on Thursday morning. Nationalist marshals intervened to stop nationalist youths attacking police Land Rovers.
A 20-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon and assaulting police, which was followed on the Wednesday by the arrest of a 22-year-old man from West Belfast about the rioting.
July riots
A riot broke out on 1 July 2011 in Castlereagh Street and Albertbridge Road, where the police used water cannons again to stop rioting continuing into the night.
On 9 July, loyalist rioters attacked the PSNI in
Ballyclare
Ballyclare () is a small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 9,953 according to the 2011 census, and is located within the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council area.
It sits on the river Six Mile Water. The town ...
after the PSNI removed
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
and paramilitary flags from outside a Catholic church.
Expected riots broke out on
11 July
Events Pre-1600
* 472 – After being besieged in Rome by his own generals, Western Roman Emperor Anthemius is captured in St. Peter's Basilica and put to death.
* 813 – Byzantine emperor Michael I, under threat by conspiracies, abdi ...
and nationalist rioters attacked the PSNI in the Oldpark and Broadway areas of Belfast. The Royal Victoria Hospital's new £9 million extensions was damaged. It is believed shots were fired.
More expected rioting broke out the following day in nationalist areas of north and south Belfast following the annual
Orange Order
The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants, particularly those of Ulster Scots heritage. It also ...
Twelfth of July
The Twelfth (also called Orangemen's Day) is an Ulster Protestant celebration held on 12 July. It began in the late 18th century in Ulster. It celebrates the Glorious Revolution (1688) and victory of Protestant King William of Orange over C ...
parades. Trouble also broke out in
Derry
Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...
, where police claimed people as young as ten were involved. The PSNI were criticised for their handling of the riots.
On 15 July, police in
Portadown
Portadown () is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town sits on the River Bann in the north of the county, about southwest of Belfast. It is in the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council area and had a population of a ...
came under attack with a riot involving around 100 people. Immigrants were forced to flee
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
when their home came under attack by loyalists in a Catholic area. The next day, in Corcraine, Portadown, there was further unrest and rioting.Portadown disorder psni.police.uk; accessed 23 October 2015.
2013 Belfast riots
''This article covers rioting in July and August. For riots linked to the City Hall protests, see Belfast City Hall flag protests.''
The 2013 Belfast riots was a series of riots taking place in Belfast in Northern Ireland. They came months after ...
*
2010 Northern Ireland riots
The 2010 Northern Ireland riots were riots and civil disturbance in Northern Ireland in July 2010, orchestrated by Irish republicans.
Rioting
The violence began during the Protestant Eleventh Night celebrations when three Police Service of Northe ...
*
2005 Belfast riots
The 2005 Belfast riots were serious loyalist riots and civil disturbances in Belfast, Northern Ireland in September 2005. The violence broke out after the Protestant Orange Order Whiterock parade was re-routed to avoid the Irish nationalist Spring ...
*
2002 Short Strand clashes
The 2002 Short Strand clashes, also known as the siege of Short Strand, was a series of major sectarian violence and gun battles in and around the Short Strand area of east Belfast – a mainly Irish/Catholic enclave surrounded by Protestant co ...
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Northern Ireland riots, 2011
Riots
A riot is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people.
Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The property targeted ...
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...