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Cars lie burnt-out today in the aftermath of last night's riots in Ballyclare

Six injured in rioting as police van rammed by hijacked bus

PSNI officers also came under attack from petrol bombs amid serious disturbances in the North last night.

SIX PSNI OFFICERS were injured overnight as loyalist crowds clashed with security forces in a dispute over the flying of sectarian flags.

The rioting flared just before midnight in Ballyclare, Co Antrim as a crowd of between 70 and 100 people hurled petrol bombs and other objects at police. Five officers were injured when a PSNI Land Rover was rammed by a hijacked bus, while another was hurt by a missile. A water cannon was used, and the trouble ended at around 2.30am, according to the PSNI.

Loyalists in the area had staged a protest on Saturday after unionist flags were removed by police on Friday, the BBC reports. DUP MLA Paul Girvan said: “There was a number of loyalist paramilitary flags removed, but as well as that there was union flags and an Ulster flag [removed]. As a result there was a bit of a backlash from the community and those who put the flags up.”

Meanwhile, a 27-year-old man was arrested after disturbances in Magherafelt early this morning. A barricade was set up and police officers assaulted as they tried to remove it, according to the PSNI. Homes were also attacked in what is being treated as a sectarian incident.

The disturbances come amid rising tensions in the run-up to the traditional July 12 marching season in the North.

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5 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Seamus
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    Jul 10th 2011, 1:33 PM

    Sounds like an intelligent group of people up there!

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    Mute James Fleming
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    Jul 10th 2011, 2:31 PM

    great community role models I’m sure… what exactly are they trying to achieve?

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    Mute Niall Carson
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    Jul 10th 2011, 3:32 PM

    It’s just the usual July shenanigans we have had to put up with since 1690. That’s why I moved down south. That’s also why every one in the pictures taken at the Oxegen festival is from the north too!

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    Mute Tony Stamper
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    Jul 10th 2011, 5:58 PM

    The loyalists are really acting up at the moment. Any chance that FG will put pressure on the PSNI to crack down on them, wouldn’t that be a turn for the books if that happened.

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    Mute stephen oneill
    Favourite stephen oneill
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    Jul 11th 2011, 8:07 PM

    FG coulnt organise a pissup in a brewery AND ANYWAY WE WOULD LOVE EDNA AND CO UP NORTH AS WE DONT TAKE ANY SHIT,, THEY WOULNT LAST VERY LONG

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