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An injured PSNI officer helped by colleagues during July 12th riots. Julien Behal/PA Wire

Paint bombs, bottles and a sword: PSNI officers attacked in Belfast

Eight police officers were injured in the attacks, two attended hospital for head injuries.

EIGHT MEMBERS OF the PSNI in west Belfast were attacked last night with two ending up in hospital for head injuries.

Police were attacked by crowds throwing paint bombs, bottles and masonry, while a man charged at police with a sword in the New Lodge area. Police discharged two aep rounds in response to this attack.

Eight arrests were made for public order offences and a number of streets in the area were closed for several hours.

What has been described as “serious public disorder” began yesterday evening and lasted until the early hours of this morning at a bonfire in the Divis area.

A thorough investigation is now underway to identify all those involved in the disorder.

Read: Investigation after ‘shots fired’ at police in Belfast>

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45 Comments
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    Mute Conor Conneally
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    Aug 9th 2013, 9:20 AM

    PSNI officers attacked with swords. If you’ve got a mindset from the 17th century you might as well use 17th century weaponry.

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    Mute Figo murphy
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    Aug 9th 2013, 2:59 PM

    He wasn’t allowed have a gun. Too dangerous.

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    Mute Gnik
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    Aug 9th 2013, 9:25 AM

    It’s getting ridiculous. Anyone seen wielding a sword should be shot on sight. Live by the sword………..

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    Mute Gerard
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    Aug 9th 2013, 11:01 AM

    Die by the gun?

    102
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    Mute Figo murphy
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    Aug 9th 2013, 2:58 PM

    Brilliant Gerard.

    10
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    Mute dave
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    Aug 9th 2013, 9:31 AM

    The process of evolution obviously didn’t join up with the loyalists.

    104
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    Mute gumbridge
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    Aug 9th 2013, 9:45 AM

    Not sure they’re loyalists, the article doesn’t say.
    Isn’t Divis usually associated with the Provos?
    Anyway, be they orange or green, attacking someone with a sword is the act of a knuckle-dragger.

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    Mute Shardy
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    Aug 9th 2013, 10:27 AM

    This crowd weren’t loyalists. Both sides are as bad as each other.

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    Mute JJ Rossi
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    Aug 9th 2013, 6:14 PM

    Perhaps you should check your facts before blaming people, it was an anti-internment bonfire in a republican area of Belfast and those who attacked the police (and a journo) yesterday were from the Nationalist, catholic community.

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    Mute James Halford
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    Aug 9th 2013, 9:29 AM

    Maybe he was an extra from Game of Thrones. That’s shot in Belfast.

    102
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    Mute Michael Murphy
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    Aug 9th 2013, 9:39 AM

    Some of them stuck in a time warp still

    55
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    Mute Carcu Sidub
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    Aug 9th 2013, 9:52 AM

    A sword in 2013. These people truly still thing they are living in the King (Gay boy) Billy days.

    40
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    Mute Premium Gamerz
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    Aug 9th 2013, 6:24 PM

    Lol exactly, and the funny thing is: the ignorant Loyalists (Protestants) support King William and yet they fight and kill the Catholic Nationalists WHEN THE VATICAN WAS ACTUALLY THE ONE WHO FUNDED KING WILLIAM’S CAMPAIGN TO GET RID OF KING JAMES!

    Yet the ignorant Protestants up north dont even know this haha, when the Catholics funded their Hero’s campaign to power.

    Ironic eh?

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    Mute Diarmuid Brennan
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    Aug 9th 2013, 11:17 AM

    did anyone look at the pictures of the bonfire!! All of the people in it were kids! from 12 to 18. Where are the parents! Where is the control. disgraceful……………. There not even old enough to know what the trouble are about….

    37
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    Mute Alan Ludlow
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    Aug 9th 2013, 9:44 AM

    Another sad night of violence for the United Kingdom

    36
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    Mute Ned Daly
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    Aug 9th 2013, 10:38 AM

    troll

    34
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    Mute James Darby
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    Aug 9th 2013, 12:56 PM

    Troll or not, he’s 100% correct.

    12
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    Mute Lord Loverocket
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    Aug 9th 2013, 12:42 PM

    Plastic bullets fired? Must be republicans so.

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    Mute Neil79
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    Aug 9th 2013, 9:45 AM

    Im shocked , a disturbance in Belfast !

    23
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    Mute c81
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    Aug 9th 2013, 12:30 PM

    They’ll b seen as republicans.. But in reality junkies who should of been lifted earlier in the day due to their anti social behaviour.. Not representative of the community and reason for these bonfires.but thanks to this will be equated to being no different to loyalist fires and hatred.

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    Mute Michael Fagan
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    Aug 9th 2013, 10:42 AM

    Looks like both British and Irish governments, have failed, once again, to pave a way out of the sectarian quagmire they have created in the six counties
    , northernIreland needs political leadership that will take steps to end the sectarian divide once and for all.

    19
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    Mute Cormac Ryan
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    Aug 9th 2013, 10:55 AM

    Ye recently it has seemed to have deteriorated but the Northern Irish Peace process is a shining light to the rest of the trouble areas of the world

    8
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    Mute Ronan Byrne
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    Aug 9th 2013, 1:09 PM

    Nonsense Michael, it’s the failure of the people not government in this situation.

    The UK & IE governments can spend any amount of money, develop as many programmes as they want on trying to bring industry to the region and to improve the lives of ordinary joe public. As long as the petty criminals (and that’s all they are) are allowed to run rampage under one banner or another, things won’t improve one jot. It’ll always be one step forward and two back.

    The people of both communities/traditions (whatever they want to call themselves) need to take responsibility for what goes on in their province…

    9
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    Mute Adam Wade
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    Aug 9th 2013, 9:50 AM

    What is with this country and swords? This isn’t the first time someone has been in the news for using a sword.

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    Mute James Buchanan
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    Aug 9th 2013, 2:36 PM

    All the guns are decommissioned so they’ve resorted to swords now instead

    6
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    Mute Seán Flynn
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    Aug 9th 2013, 2:00 PM

    All the self-righteous little shoneen Free-Staters parrotting the Daily Mail ‘they’re as bad as each other’ line.

    12
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    Mute Shardy
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    Aug 9th 2013, 6:32 PM

    I am not being self righteous saying both sides are as bad as each other. I’ve lived in Belfast for the last 20 years and work in North Belfast where most of the trouble has been in the last few weeks so I think I’m entitled to have a point of view. Things will never move forward until people on BOTH sides grow up, stop blaming each other for everything and learn to work together for a better future for everyone. When was the last time you paid a visit to Belfast Sean to see for yourself what exactly is going on here?

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    Mute Sharon Coyle
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    Aug 9th 2013, 10:09 AM

    Someone playing with his mummy’s wall decoration

    12
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    Mute Bobby Murray
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    Aug 9th 2013, 10:27 AM

    Sharon, to comment on this issue of the sword attack with a paraphrase to a previous comment from you on another issue concerning a Republican parade. Now that’s British! :-)

    10
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    Mute Little Jim
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    Aug 9th 2013, 12:41 PM

    Bobby.
    WHAT?

    14
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    Mute Pauric O Laighin
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    Aug 9th 2013, 12:10 PM

    Disgraceful behaviour.

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    Mute Peter Rice
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    Aug 9th 2013, 12:57 PM

    Selective outrage.As usual.

    17
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    Mute James Buchanan
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    Aug 9th 2013, 11:39 AM

    Nationalists this time

    8
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    Mute GOLDEN ARMS
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    Aug 9th 2013, 12:34 PM

    You don’t know that…just coz it’s in a Nationalist area doesn’t mean the nationalists started it, the area well known for Secterian clashes

    7
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    Mute James Buchanan
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    Aug 9th 2013, 12:53 PM

    lol trust me mate, this was nationalists. It was a prolonged riot in a heavily nationalist/republican area. A reporter was even attacked by he same people yesterday during the day.

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    Mute GOLDEN ARMS
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    Aug 9th 2013, 1:00 PM

    Nah Loyalists known for startin trouble around the area as well so don’t be so quick to jump the gun

    6
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    Mute Adrian Snow
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    Aug 9th 2013, 1:10 PM

    Loyalists? Nationalists? Or just a bunch of kids and idiots looking for trouble and are not really standing for any ideology whatsoever? Hows about we stop appointing blame and pointing fingers at sections of the community and call them what they are….Muppets

    14
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    Mute James Buchanan
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    Aug 9th 2013, 1:12 PM

    If this was loyalists i’ll eat my hat. Are you really suggesting loyalists attended a nationalist internment bonfire and proceeded to riot with the police for 5 hours, what were the nationalists doing during all this? lol

    5
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    Mute GOLDEN ARMS
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    Aug 9th 2013, 2:30 PM

    No I’m saying its possible they attacked it both Divis and New Lodge are very close to Shankill. Anyways it was youths after the PSNI moved in and tried to arrest people, pity they don’t do the same at the loyalist bonfires which are far more distasteful than burning a few union jacks, all the same though nationalists shouldn’t be stooping to their level.

    5
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    Mute James Buchanan
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    Aug 9th 2013, 2:59 PM

    Why cant you see it as possible that it was nationalists seeing it happened in a nationalist/republican area?

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    Mute GOLDEN ARMS
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    Aug 9th 2013, 5:03 PM

    I never said that I just said dont be so quick to jump to a conclusion that’s all.

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    Mute Alex Wilsdon
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    Aug 9th 2013, 1:00 PM

    Nationalist / Loyalist it doesn’t matter just thugs and gurriers from either side who should be in prison but are free on the streets due to the idiotic Good Friday Agreement which let them out.

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    Mute steve white
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    Aug 9th 2013, 10:28 AM

    aep rounds?

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    Mute Peter O' Neill
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    Aug 9th 2013, 11:27 AM

    Attenuating Energy Projectile …more commonly known as plastic bullets

    19
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    Mute Fergal Reid
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    Aug 9th 2013, 12:49 PM

    Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

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