A former credit union building in west Belfast has been set alight during rioting linked to the seizure of bonfire material by the city council.
Nationalist youths torched the building in the Divis area of the city on Monday evening in disturbances linked to the bonfire dispute. Masked youths also tried to hijack a number of buses travelling along the Falls Road, according to local witnesses.
There were also reports that the violence has also spread to the republican New Lodge district in the north of the city.
The disorder in the Divis area followed rioting in the Market district of central Belfast earlier on Monday when police officers were pelted with petrol bombs, stones and other missiles.
Up to 20 cars were vandalised, with at least two vehicles set on fire during the disorder which lasted several hours.
The trouble began at lunchtime in the Market area after council officials removed wood and other materials for a bonfire in the nationalist district.
Bonfires are lit in some nationalist and republican areas of Northern Ireland on 9 August to mark the introduction of internment in 1971. Republicans aligned to Sinn Féin have long ago phased out bonfires as a means to commemorate internment.
However, dissident republicans opposed to the peace process have revived the 9 August bonfire tradition.
Last week, Belfast city council backed a Sinn Féin proposal to allow council officials to seize material from illegal bonfires. Contractors took away wood and other materials for the local bonfire in the early hours of Monday morning.
Several hours later cars and other vehicles parked close to Belfast’s central station were vandalised or set alight. Masked youths later threw petrol bombs and other missiles at police land rovers in Friendly Street close to the edge of the Market area.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland condemned the trouble, blaming a “small group of youths” for the violence.
Speaking after visiting the Divis area, SDLP councillor Tim Attwood also condemned the actions and called for the community to unite against the behaviour.
“It is outrageous that the old credit union building has been torched in Divis,” said Atwood. I utterly condemn these actions. There is no place for these mindless thugs in Belfast. They are intent on destroying our community.
“Local residents are appalled and frightened by these actions. The people of west Belfast will unite against such attacks.
“Those who have done this must be brought to justice and anyone with any information should pass it immediately to the PSNI.”
