Scuffles break out at publication of Troubles report

Scuffles have broken out at a Belfast hotel where a report on dealing with the legacy of the Troubles is being published today.

Orangemen wearing their sashes stood at the front of the stage before the press conference began, claiming the report was recommending blood money for paramilitaries.

Bereaved families also clashed verbally and then physically with the relatives of police officers killed in the conflict, while one Unionist politician berated Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams, accusing him of having blood on his hands.

The report from the Consultative Group on the Past recommends that a £12,000 (€13,000) bereavement payment be given to all families who lost loved ones in the Troubles, including the families of paramilitaries.

The recommendation was leaked to the media last week and has sparked fury among unionists, who say paramilitaries should not be afforded the same status as other victims.