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Rioting breaks out on eve of return to school

Dan McGinn
Monday 03 September 2001 00:00 BST
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Fresh disturbances broke out in North Belfast last night as police were attack with petrol bombs, bricks, and stones. The rioting occurred in the Limestone Road area after homes were attacked in the sectarian interface area beside the loyalist Tigers Bay and nationalist Newington district.

About 24 police and army jeeps were deployed after the clashes erupted at about 8pm. As the security forces dealt with the disturbances, a helicopter hovered overhead.

A local Sinn Fein councillor, Eoin O'Brion, blamed loyalist paramilitaries from the Ulster Defence Association for orchestrating the attacks which occurred on the eve of attempts by Catholic children in the Ardoyne to go to school despite threats from loyalist protesters that they would attempt to blockade the route because of intimidation from nationalists. He said: "It would appear to be no accident that the attack came from an area where the UDA has a stronghold."

The Royal Ulster Constabulary confirmed that a number of petrol bombs, stones and other objects were thrown during the disturbances in the north of the city.

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