Firebombs Fly In Northern Ireland Ahead Of Biden Visit To Mark Peace Deal Anniversary
A parade in Northern Ireland by opponents of the Good Friday peace accord turned violent on Monday when Irish nationalists threw petrol bombs at a police vehicle. The mayhem comes on the eve of President Biden's arrival to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the deal.
The parade took place in Derry, in the far northwest corner of Northern Ireland, on the border of The Republic of Ireland. The official name of the town is Londonderry, but it's widely referred to as Derry, particularly by Catholics and Irish nationalists who prefer a version that doesn't reinforce UK control.
Photos and video show a group of masked young men hurling firebombs at an armored Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Land Rover, with The Telegraph reporting that one tried in vain to break a window before the fiery onslaught.
Masked Irish protesters opposing the Good Friday peace accord in Londonderry attack police with petrol bombs ahead of US President Joe Biden’s visit to Northern Ireland. Police said no officers were injured pic.twitter.com/QtKtq7ySt3
— TRT World (@trtworld) April 10, 2023
"This was a senseless and reckless attack on our officers who were in attendance in the area in order to comply with our legal duties,” said Derry City & Strabane Area Commander Chief Superintendent Nigel Goddard. No injuries were reported.
"During today's policing operation, we deployed evidence-gathering resources, and obtained footage which will now be reviewed as part of an investigation into potential offences under the Terrorism Act," said Goddard.
)In March, the UK's MI5 intelligence service elevated the threat level from Northern Ireland-related terrorism to "severe," which means an attack is highly likely. On Thursday, PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne warned officers that any type of disorder could be a pretext to a gun or bomb ambush.
) )Monday's marchers in Derry carried Irish flags, and others that read "Unfinished Business" and "Unfinished Revolution." Their route took them to the city cemetery, where a speaker said it isn't sufficient to shout "up the IRA. The important thing is to join the IRA."
)Biden is set to arrive on Tuesday for a four-day itinerary that will take him to both Northern Ireland and the Republic. The visit is timed to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement that largely quelled some 30 years of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland that killed more than 3,600. Among other provisions, the agreement allowed for the creation of the Northern Ireland Assembly, which would have responsibility for most aspects of local governance.
However, as Monday's events illustrated, sporadic violence persists among those who seek to end British dominion over Northern Ireland.
Some Irish nationalists decried the petrol-bomb assault. “These are kids with no memory or experience of the violence of 25 years ago and they’re being exploited and abused by people with no vision for the future," Northern Ireland Assembly Member of Parliament Colum Eastwood told the Belfast Telegraph.
As we reported in October, a peaceful pursuit of Irish unification has been gaining steam, with a goal of conducting a Northern Ireland referendum on unification with the republic. An August 2022 poll found 41% support unity, a 10-point gain in 10 years.
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