Sinn Féin and the SDLP have condemned a nationalist mob attack in west Belfast in which five members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) were injured, one of them seriously.
A young probationary officer, who did not wish to be named, told of how doctors said he was likely to be permanently scarred after a bottle that was hurled at him exploded in his face, breaking his nose and showering glass in his eyes.
He and his colleagues who were chasing alleged car thieves into the Falls Park on Sunday evening were bombarded with stones and bottles by about 200 people in the park, many of them drunk.
The officer who operates in west Belfast said that most of the community there got on well with police but he met real evil when he was confronted by the angry mob.
"They had real hate on their faces. It seems to be the pastime to abuse police officers," he said.
"It is disheartening. Ordinarily working in west Belfast it is good people that you usually deal with. These youths detract from that. It really shows the area in a bad light," he said.
He was struck after officers arrested a young man at the scene.
Sinn Féin councillor, Mr Paul Maskey, in condemning the incident, said the youths should not be engaged in such activity.
Mr Alex Attwood, a local SDLP representative and Policing Board member, said people in west Belfast wanted the police to be able to tackle crime including car crime and so-called "joyriding".
"These sort of people need to catch themselves on," he said.
