Police: 27 officers injured in clashes in N. Ireland

(News Today) - At least 27 police officers were injured in clashes overnight in Belfast, Northern Ireland, including three hit by shotgun pellets, police said Monday.

About 200 people rushed into the streets around 11:45 p.m. Sunday (7:45 p.m. ET), with some throwing objects and explosives, police said.

The injuries are not thought to be serious, police spokesman John Anderson said.

The violence took place in two different parts of the city on the eve of a holiday often marked by tension between Catholics and Protestants.

The disruption began minutes before the start of "Orangeman's Day."

The holiday -- also called "The Twelfth" -- is celebrated by Protestants in Northern Ireland to commemorate the Battle of Boyne in 1690, when the Protestant William of Orange defeated the Catholic James in a struggle over the British throne.

Because of the sectarian nature of the holiday, celebrations have sometimes been marred by violence in the past.

"This is utterly wrong and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms," police district Chief Superintendent Mark Hamilton said in a statement. "Those involved in tonight's violence were intent on causing mayhem and destruction."

Hamilton said police were investigating the incident.

"We have appealed for calm in the run up to the Twelfth of July and we continue to do so," he said. "We would appeal to anyone with influence in the community to exert it to ensure that the next few days pass off without incident."

On Saturday, police in Northern Ireland said a roadside bomb that exploded in a border caused significant damage to both a road and a nearby bridge.

District Cmdr. Chief Alasdair Robinson said he believed that police officers were the target, and that the bomb was placed in the area in an attempt to injure or kill them.

Source : CNN

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