Riot police intervened to disperse rival factions at a sectarian interface in east Belfast yesterday morning. Trouble erupted at around 4 a.m. in the Mountpottinger area in which sectarian tensions have been high over recent days and nights. The RUC used Land-Rovers to create a buffer zone between loyalist rioters from the Thistle Court area and nationalist rioters from the Short Strand enclave.
Protestant residents claimed the riot was started by a group of nationalists hurling stones at their homes. The RUC said it was unclear what had started the fracas. Streets were littered with rubble and broken glass and several houses had their windows broken. A car was also damaged.
On Saturday night in the same area three Australian tourists were beaten with iron bars by a 20-strong mob of youths. One of the tourists was dragged into an alleyway where the vicious beating continued. The victim was freed by his two friends but had to receive hospital treatment for a serious injury to his left ear and bruising to his body.
A police spokesman described the incident as a "terrible and totally unprovoked assault on three innocent young men". Political representatives from both sides yesterday condemned the violence and appealed for calm. The Progressive Unionist Party's Mr David Ervine called on community workers to try to resolve the issue before it got "out of control".
The Ulster Unionist Trade and Tourism Minister, Sir Reg Empey, said he would consider a meeting with the RUC Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan. "How am I and my department and the tourist board to attract people here if we get publicity around the world that if you come here you are going to get beaten up?" he added.