| Police injured in blast bomb riots |
At least two police officers have been injured when serious loyalist rioting broke out in north Belfast.
Police fired plastic bullets at rioters after blast bombs, petrol bombs and fireworks were hurled at them on the Crumlin Road.
Police later came under gunfire. A number of police vehicles were hit but no one was injured.
The RUC say at least 300 people were involved in the trouble which they described as serious disorder.
RUC Assistant Chief Constable Alan McQuillan said: "Once again we have seen disgraceful scenes of disorder in north Belfast.
"Tonight police again find themselves in the middle attempting to prevent a concerted attack on the nationalist community."
Trouble started after loyalists blocked the Crumlin Road near the Ardoyne shops to stage a protest.
Earlier loyalist protesters threw fireworks at the parents of the Holy Cross schoolchildren in north Belfast.
Parents from the Catholic Ardoyne area were on their way through the neighbouring Protestant Glenbryn district to collect pupils when the fireworks were thrown. Nobody was hurt in the incident.
Sinn Fein claims loyalist paramilitaries had threatened to shoot the parents. The firework attack caused widespread panic and distress and was part of a campaign to drive nationalists out of the area, they added.
Story filed: 21:29 Wednesday 26th September 2001
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