Belfast Riots: Fears of Return to Sectarian Violence as Brexit Stokes Divisions
Voice of America
LONDON - After six consecutive nights of rioting in Belfast, fears are growing of a return to violence in Northern Ireland, nearly 23 years after the Good Friday Agreement brought an end to three decades of sectarian killings and bomb attacks.
Pro-British unionist supporters are angry at elements of the agreement that Britain signed to leave the European Union (EU), which went into effect in January, and which they believe jeopardize Northern Ireland's place in the United Kingdom. Tensions have boiled over. Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can download this video to view it offline. A bus was hijacked and set on fire Wednesday in Belfast as crowds of youths hurled stones and gasoline bombs at police. Dozens of officers were injured, and several people were arrested. A photojournalist from the Belfast Telegraph newspaper was assaulted while covering the protests. Much of the violence occurred on Shankill Road in west Belfast, a long-standing frontier between the mostly Protestant unionist and mostly Catholic, pro-Irish nationalist communities.
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