Sandy Row riot: Leaders appeal for calm after Belfast riot

The Northern Ireland secretary and first minister are among those who have appealed for calm after a night of disorder in south Belfast.

NI Secretary Brandon Lewis said the unrest on Friday evening was "completely unacceptable".

First Minister Arlene Foster warned young people not to get "drawn into disorder".

Petrol bombs, bricks and bottles were thrown at police during sustained rioting in the Sandy Row area.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said 15 officers were injured and eight people arrested.

Three teenage boys aged 13, 14 and 17 have since been charged with riot.

Three men and a woman have also been charged, while another man has been released on bail pending further enquiries.

"Violence is never the answer," said Mr Lewis. "There is no place for it in society.

"It is unwanted, unwarranted and I fully support the PSNI appeal for calm."

He said his thoughts were with the officers injured.

Mrs Foster, who is leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), said many young people were "hugely frustrated by the events of this last week" but that causing injury to police officers would not make things better".

"I appeal to our young people not to get drawn into disorder which will lead to them having criminal convictions and blighting their own lives."

Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey blamed the disturbances on the "reckless rhetoric from political unionism".

The Sinn Féin MLA said the DUP and others had "fed young people with misinformation and lies that their identity is under threat when it isn't". 

Up to 100 people had gathered in the Shaftesbury Square area, where a loyalist protest had been expected.

Trouble began before 20:00 BST, when fireworks and other missiles were thrown at police.

Ch Supt Simon Walls, Belfast district commander, said 15 officers were injured after being subjected to "a sustained attack by rioters who threw a number of objects at police including heavy masonry, metal rods, fireworks and manhole covers".

Officers suffered burns, head and leg injures.

Ch Supt Walls said four officers were unable to report for duty on Saturday due to their injuries.

He appealed to anyone who had "any influence in communities" to use it to ensure young people are kept safe and away from harm.

Analysis by Mark Simpson, BBC News NI

Within 12 hours of the riot, the streets had been cleaned and normal life resumed.

Belfast is quick to recover. The city has had plenty of practice.

The ugly scenes on Friday night were a reminder of the old Belfast. The trouble came on the 23rd anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

Political divisions remain and have been exacerbated by the row over Brexit's Northern Ireland Protocol and the controversy over the funeral of the senior republican and former head of IRA intelligence Bobby Storey.

Before Friday night, violence on the streets had been avoided in recent months.

Efforts are now being made to ensure the Sandy Row riot is not repeated.

Mark Lindsay, chairman of the Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said: "There's a lot of frustration and a lot of anger, because once again we see ourselves being pulled into the middle of political and social argument.

"These are police officers trying to do their best on a day and daily basis, but they find themselves at the butt of attacks and criticism and they're very, very annoyed and very frustrated about that."

He said the actions had an impact on the families of officers, and some would have to take time off work to recover from their injuries.

The "political rhetoric and the social rhetoric" had built over the last week, and it was "no great surprise" it had resulted in violence, he added.

Ulster Unionist Party assembly member Mike Nesbitt said the scenes must not be repeated.

Mr Nesbitt, who also represents the party on the Policing Board, said anyone taking part was "making a huge strategic mistake".

"Tell me any time when street violence has advanced the cause that you purport to support," he said.

"It was a huge error and it must not be repeated."

Sinn Féin West Belfast MP Paul Maskey said it was "deeply concerning to see these types of incidents at the height of the Covid pandemic and as we are beginning to make good progress".

"This is a time for calm heads and responsible leadership," he added.

South Belfast MP Claire Hanna blamed what she described as "usual suspects with no vision" for creating "tension for electoral gain".

"History repeats, people lose hope, kids get criminal records, communities pull apart. There's a better way," she said.

Stormont's Justice Minister Naomi Long, who is the leader of the Alliance Party, said the disorder was "in no-one's best interests".

"It's incumbent on leaders to behave responsibly and dial down the inflammatory rhetoric over recent days," the Alliance Party leader tweeted.

"Words have consequences."