Anti-Internment Parade Belfast 2015
Trouble broke out on the
Oldpark Road on Sunday afternoon.
It followed after those
taking part in the parade were prevented from entering the city centre by
police.
Water canon was used as
bricks, missiles and petrol bombs were thrown at police.
The anti-internment march
was granted permission by the Parades Commission to pass through the city
before 1.30pm.
However organisers vowed to
begin their parade in Ardoyne in the north of the city an hour later.
When it became clear to
police the determination was not being adhered to, commanders said they would
stop the parade from passing through the city.
The parade was stopped at
the corner of the Oldpark Road and Rosapenna Street.
The parade marks the
introduction of internment without trial by the Stormont administration, with
the support of the UK Government, during the height of the Troubles in August
1971.
The controversial policy of
detaining suspects (mainly innocent Catholics, many of whom were tortured and some died from that torture) without trial ended in 1975.
However, the parade
organisers - the Anti-Internment League - allege it is still effectively
operated by the state authorities in the present day.
Last year there were minor
disturbances at the event but in 2013 almost 60 police officers were injured
when loyalist protesters rioted in the city centre.
In its application to the
Parades Commission, the group said it anticipated around 5,000 supporters for
this year's parade.
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