Riots in south Belfast over GAA football flags

Police in south Belfast were forced to keep nationalists and loyalists apart following clashes between the two last night.

Police in south Belfast were forced to keep nationalists and loyalists apart following clashes between the two last night.

Officers responded to reports of stone throwing as two groups squared off at lower Donegal Pass, a Loyalist area, and Cromac Street and the nationalist lower Ormeau Road.

Police came under attack as they tried to restore calm to the area and work with community representatives to keep both groups apart.

It is understood the clashes were over the erection of flags to celebrate a local Gaelic football team reaching a championship final.

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Sinn Féin Assembly member Alex Maskey left a Belfast City Council meeting to calm tensions in the area.

The South Belfast MLA said: "Locals are saying that UVF men demanded that these flags be taken down. It appears that the system for dealing with these issues along the interface has broken down.

No major injuries were reported in the incident.

PA