Ramblings

Last night saw rioting on both sides of the peace wall in belfast

19 police officers were injured

The PSNI then turned water canons on the rioters (despite the fact loyalists have been rioting for a week, only the nationalist rioters were subjected to this)

The people have no faith in the police or the politicians and there is no end in sight

- multiple peace walls are being torn down

- violence is in Belfast and Derry

- dozens of petrol bombs are being thrown nightly as well as stones, fireworks, bricks etc.

- 19 police officers were injured last night alone - it’s been this number every night give or take for the last week and a half. (as of 10/04/2021)

- when condemning loyalist violence, First Minister Arlene Foster condemned it by saying that it distracted from the real criminals, Sinn Féin. This is seriously inflammatory rhetoric from politicians - Foster is a loyalist and SF are nationalists.

- not only are children as young as 12 involved in the violence, but the violence is not just angry riots - paramilitary organisations (in particular the UVF) seem to be behind this, which is concerning if you know anything about the Troubles. If you don’t, I suggest reading a tiny bit about it even on Wikipedia, because it will tell you how recent and fragile the peace is in NI.

- in the weeks before this, the address of Ireland (the republic)’s tánaiste (deputy PM) was being graffitied on walls by the UVF as an advertised target.

- reading about the Troubles is also necessary to understand why police only aiming water cannons at the nationalists is so bad. the police have a history of disproportionately attacking nationalist communities, and even committing massacres (Bloody Sunday). there is no trust of “peacekeepers” because historically they have not been neutral in NI, so the UK government’s handling (ignore it and just send the police in) is questionable to say the least.

I need to fact check this particular post. It’s not the worst but it’s the first that appeared in my timeline. The Northern Ireland situation is complicated, so I don’t blame people for not always getting things right. But we need to clear up a few things.

1. The rioting in Belfast is limited to a few areas in Northern Ireland. It is on a small scale. Nonetheless, it is serious.  It’s important, however, not to blow things out of proportion. This is not The Troubles 2.0. The last time rioting was this was bad was probably in 2015.  

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/twelfth-2015-third-night-of-rioting-in-north-belfast-loyalists-trash-retirement-home-wreck-own-community-31381325.html

So, again, while this is significant, please don’t exaggerate. People in Northern Ireland will let you know when it’s time to really worry. 

2. Some of the people rioting are young children. Some of them are as young as 14. Some of the children are being egged on by older adults. 

The Children’s Commissioner in Northern Ireland recently called the situation concerning and said it was child abuse. 

https://www.itv.com/news/utv/2021-04-11/childrens-commissioner-calls-out-child-abuse-in-recent-northern-ireland-unrest

You might also be interested in this article by local journalist, Sam McBride. In it, McBride details the very dangerous situation the child rioters are facing. He also addresses the incredibly worrying behaviour of some of the adults involved. 

https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/anarchy-on-the-shankill-as-men-and-women-urge-children-to-riot-with-no-hint-of-political-protest-3195532

“Later, after police had warned that ‘impact rounds’ would be fired, one of the children appeared uneasy. Older girls told him caustically “sure it’s only rubber”.

3. From the post above: “The PSNI then turned water canons on the rioters (despite the fact loyalists have been rioting for a week, only the nationalist rioters were subjected to this)” 

It’s true that the PSNI did use water canons on rioters on the nationalist side. People are right to be outraged about this. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that uses a water canon. Policing in Northern Ireland is very different from the rest of the UK. 

Please be aware, however, that the PSNI’s heavy handed tactics have also been deployed on the loyalist side. Plastic bullets were used the night before the water cannon in the Shankill. Amnesty International has condemned the PSNI for using the water canon and plastic bullets. 

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/northern-ireland-use-water-cannons-and-plastic-bullets-extremely-alarming

Heavy handed police tactics are wrong, no matter when they are used.

4 “ there is no end in sight.”

The situation is worrying. I can’t stress this enough: this is not The Troubles 2.0. There are politicians talking on the ground. There are also community leaders and youth workers on the ground trying to stop the rioting. There may be an end in sight. It has happened before. 

5. “multiple peace walls are being torn down.” 

No peace walls have been torn down. One gate at the peace wall in the Shankill was damaged, which is very concerning. It has now been repaired. 

6. “when condemning loyalist violence, First Minister Arlene Foster condemned it by saying that it distracted from the real criminals, Sinn Féin. This is seriously inflammatory rhetoric from politicians - Foster is a loyalist and SF are nationalists.” 

Fact check here: Arlene Foster identifies as a unionist, not a loyalist. There is a difference between the two traditions. 

Foster’s rhetoric was criticised heavily for her comments. The comments were ridiculous and I’m not here to defend her. We do need to put some of this in context. 

For context, when Foster talked about the “real lawbreakers”, she was referring to a breach of covid regulations. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-53275733. 

Anger over the above funeral was no confined to one community. Sinn Fein were criticised by the nationalist SDLP for breaching covid regs. Obviously though, Foster’s comments were incredibly tone deaf. 

7.  there is no trust of “peacekeepers” because historically they have not been neutral in NI, so the UK government’s handling (ignore it and just send the police in) is questionable to say the least.

The UK Government didn’t send the police in. The PSNI went in on their own accord. 

8. “basically this is really fucking serious because it’s only several decades out of a civil war in NI and it looks like the beginning of another one. “ 

I can’t stress this enough: no it’s not. It’s really, really not. It’s serious but it’s not the start of another civil war. 

Here are some good articles from local journalists

https://www.cityam.com/northern-ireland-riots-who-stirred-the-combustible-pot-of-tensions/

http://amanda.ie/stories/what-a-week