Belfast police hurt in riot over blocked Protestant march

Instead, marchers and bandsmen will be stopped at police lines in the unionist Woodvale area. “An investigation into the circumstances is now under way”. Orange Order parades are banned from marching at a certain section of the Crumlin Road.

A water cannon has been deployed and there are reports of other officers also being injured.

Lines of riot squad officers from the PSNI dealt with loyalists youths attacking their Lines several hundred yards away from the upturned auto on the Woodvale Road.

Police have blocked the annual Orange parade past Ardoyne since 2013, when Orangemen and their supporters rioted for hours.

Within minutes of the parade reaching the police lines this evening, empty bottles, bricks and metal bolts rained down on police. At one stage, it appeared that the loyalists were about to breach the crowd control barrier with some even managing to jump on to the front of police Land Rovers and dance on top of the vehicles. A spokesperson said: “Those involved in violence should desist”.

Police officers enforcing restrictions imposed by the Parades Commission find themselves attempting to balance the competing rights of both sides.

“It is not only counter-productive but also plain wrong”.

“Anyone who responds with violence to such provocation only does a disservice to our cause and undermines all that we stand for”.

Last year, significant efforts – including the use of a large number of Orange Order and community marshals – helped ensure the day passed off without major incidents. “We call on anyone engaged in illegal behaviour to stop immediately”.

Earlier, a bus carrying Orangemen was reportedly stoned in Greysteel, County Londonderry, while police said a female officer was assaulted in Belfast city centre. It is understood that no one was seriously injured in the incident.

The Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, which organizes the marches, said in a statement that it condemned those engaging in violence and that their actions only strengthened the hand of those who wish to further curtail the parades.

While the extent of the girl’s injuries is not yet known, Holy Cross parish priest Father Gary Donegan spoke to UTV at the scene and said that she had suffered neck and head injuries. The community just want to it all to be over.

“The thing here is you cannot create artificial tensions, the sense is that the reaction you normally would have got just isn’t there, the parade comes down in the morning and goes through and people can go about their business”.

“It could have been much worse – she was very lucky”, he said.