Police came under attack from crowds of rioters for a second successive night in north Belfast. In the 24-hour period to 5 a.m. yesterday 41 officers and two soldiers were injured. About 250 petrol bombs and 15 blast bombs were thrown and four cars were burned out.
Most of the violence happened in the loyalist Glenbryn area, close to where protests have been taking place over the route used by Catholic children to go to school.
There were also riots in other areas of north Belfast. Rival groups of youths clashed at North Queen Street, the Limestone Road and the Westland Road areas. The RUC Assistant Chief Constable, Mr Alan McQuillan, said the violence was not directed against the police. "What we had last night was mobs on both sides attempting to attack the homes of the other community with the police and the army standing between them." He said most of the violence came from the loyalist side.
In Newry, Co Down, a burning articulated lorry blocked the main Dublin to Belfast road for several hours early yesterday. Gunmen hijacked the vehicle on the Newry bypass before setting it alight with petrol bombs.