UDA calls for end to mob violence

LOYALIST paramilitaries yesterday called for an end to the violence sweeping through parts of the North.

The Ulster Defence Association (UDA) in north Belfast, one of the worst affected areas, said the rioting which has left more than 60 police officers injured and caused millions of euro-worth of damage must cease.

A statement said: “We are instructing our own membership to avoid any confrontation on the streets and steer away from any acts of violence.”

The call for an end to the violence, which has run on three consecutive nights since a disputed Orange Order parade in west Belfast was controversially rerouted on Saturday, came as police revealed 63 arrests had been made.

Yesterday’s UDA statement is highly significant, coming amid demands by police chiefs, British government ministers, and nationalist politicians for better unionist leadership.

Other UDA men and the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) will be under pressure to follow suit and pull back. The organisation called on politicians to help restore order. The statement, issued through its political advisers, insisted they should be calm - no matter what the provocation.

It added: “No longer can we, or will we, let these types of situations destroy our own communities as it seems the community is the only sufferer in this conflict.”

Sixty-three people have been arrested following the weekend Loyalist violence. All but three were questioned about public order offences, according to a statement.

Further arrests will be made and officers are also investigating breaches of a Parades Commission determination by members of the Orange Order whose march in West Belfast on Saturday triggered the violence in Belfast and a number of other towns.

Following the third night of violence, police called for an end to the trouble.

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Duncan McCausland warned that his officers would continue to deal robustly with further outbreaks of disturbances.

“No one wants to see their local community suffer from serious damage caused by continued nights of violence. Those with influence in these communities must step forward and exercise that influence to ensure these areas do not suffer further.

The PSNI said that 10 officers had been injured during the latest night of violence in Belfast and other areas. The extent of injuries was not yet known, said a spokeswoman.

Petrol bombs, paint bombs and blast bombs were rained down on officers across Belfast and many surrounding towns. Loyalist mobs went on the rampage until the early hours.