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American Morning

Police Restore Calm in Belfast

Aired June 22, 2001 - 10:40   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Overseas now, in Northern Ireland, police have restored calm in Belfast after another night of rage and violence. Rival Catholic and Protestant groups clashed with officers until early morning. Meanwhile, officials from London and Dublin prepare to meet today outside Belfast to discuss the violence. CNN's Nic Robertson has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cars were set on fire and police and army came under attack from gunmen in a second night of violence on Belfast's streets. Rocks, petrol bombs and explosives were thrown at the security forces as they kept rival gangs of Protestant and Catholic youths apart. Several police officers were hurt in the violence, but although not as intense as the previous night, spread to other parts of the city.

A Catholic school close to an intersection of the two communities was burned despite earlier efforts of community leaders on both sides to defuse tensions in the city.

MARGARET WALSH, SDLP COUNCILOR: What we are trying to insure is that the community who's right on the ground here and people who are working in the community are actually out trying to prevent this kind of incident taking place.

ROBERTSON: Tensions are particularly high because the height of the Protestant Orange Order marching season is approaching and the outbreaks of trouble in the city have been characterized by their proximity to routes of the contentious marches. Close to one route, Protestant pensioners say their houses have been attacked.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: If you are standing here and that there hit you, you'd be killed. Those are the sort of things they're throwing over.

ROBERTSON (on camera): Despite the calls for calm, security forces are still on high alert. Rioting has been a regular feature of Northern Ireland's cross community hatred and it is rarely more volatile than when the political stakes are high, as they are now.

(voice-over): High level political talks are expected to resume Friday aimed at keeping Northern Ireland's shaky peace process on track. Nic Robertson, CNN, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: This weekend on CNN PRESENTS, we will take an in depth look at the conflict in Northern Ireland and the fragile peace process. We invite you to tune in to CNN PRESENTS: NORTHERN IRELAND, DYING FOR PEACE. That airs Sunday, 10:00 P.M. Eastern Time, seven Pacific.

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