The wave of violence sweeping the North entered its fourth day yesterday, with further gun attacks on police and sectarian petrol bombs attacks on Catholic schools and an Orange hall. Public transport, traffic and businesses have been badly affected, especially in Belfast.
RUC officers were fired on in three attacks on Tuesday evening or early yesterday. In Newtownards, police dealing with a mob throwing petrol bombs in the Abbots estate came under fire.
At 1.30 a.m. yesterday, three shots were fired at police in Antrim's Ballycraigy estate and shortly afterwards shots were fired at a police patrol on the Newtownards Road in Belfast. No one was injured in any of the incidents.
In Ballymena, police issued a safety alert after a cache of bottles containing nitric acid was discovered. Detectives said they were extremely concerned about children coming into contact with the acid, which is highly corrosive. In Derry, a part-time policewoman was forced to flee her home of 20 years after her car was burned.
At least three more Catholic schools were targeted by arsonists. In Belfast, a car was driven through the outer gates of Holy Cross girls' primary school on the Ardoyne Road and set alight, causing minor damage. In Lurgan, St Joseph's primary school was petrol-bombed. Firefighters dealing with the blaze were attacked. In Larne, St Anthony's primary school suffered minor damage after a petrol bomb was thrown through a window. Police are also investigating an arson attempt on an Orange hall in Mallusk. Inflammable liquid was poured through a window at Hydepark Orange Hall, causing minor fire damage.
In east Belfast, a hostel for homeless people was damaged after being attacked by a mob. The Open Door Housing Association which runs the hostel blamed "useless hooligans" for the attack. Some of the firefighters who helped to save the building went on the streets of central Belfast yesterday to collect money for the charity.
The violence continued to play havoc with transport in many parts of the North. Train and bus services were severely restricted, and most services out of Belfast ended early yesterday evening. Shops in many parts also closed early for the third evening running. Shops in the city centre will not open late today as is usual on Thursdays.
Other overnight incidents included blast bomb attacks on pol ice in Belvoir, Belfast, and the Castlemara estate in Carrickfergus; a petrol and blast bomb at tack on the RUC in Antrim; disturbances in Newtownabbey, where police were attacked with blast bombs, petrol bombs and stones by crowds of up to 100.
There were petrol-bomb attacks on houses in Garvagh and Lurgan; in the latter incident, the occupant was taken to hospital with a suspected heart attack. Both incidents were described as sectarian.
Meanwhile, absenteeism in Portadown is running as high as 90 per cent because of the standoff, according to a spokeswoman for the Confederation of British Industry.
1,430 Incidents
A total of 1,430 public order incidents were recorded across Northern Ireland from 6 a.m. on July 4th to 6 a.m. on July 8th , according to the RUC. These include:
44 police officers injured
92 people arrested
437 attacks on members of the security forces, including 12 shooting incidents and 25 blast bombings
412 petrol bombings
1,056 petrol bombs recovered
136 vehicles hijacked
279 vehicles damaged
73 houses damaged
93 other buildings damaged
