Northern Ireland's Executive Meeting Thursday Amid Continuing Belfast Unrest

The Northern Ireland Executive is set to meet on Thursday to discuss the situation in Belfast, where more than 50 police officers have been injured during the past several nights of violence

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th April, 2021) The Northern Ireland Executive is set to meet on Thursday to discuss the situation in Belfast, where more than 50 police officers have been injured during the past several nights of violence.

According to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) protesters attacked police officers, threw petrol bombs and hijacked a bus and set it on fire in Belfast this past night.

"I am deeply concerned by the scenes of violence in Northern Ireland, especially attacks on PSNI who are protecting the public and businesses, attacks on a bus driver and the assault of a journalist. The way to resolve differences is through dialogue, not violence or criminality," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Twitter.

According to the Police Federation, at least seven police officers were injured in Belfast during the past night's violence.

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Jonathan Roberts said as quoted by The Irish news newspaper on Thursday that Wednesday night protests escalated to "significant disorder where crowds from both sides of the gate [at Lanark Way in west Belfast] were committing serious criminal offences, both attacking police and attacking each other.

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According to Roberts, a total of 55 police officers have been injured across several nights of disorder in Northern Ireland.

The Irish News said that the Stormont Assembly was being recalled from Easter recess for an emergency meeting to be held on Thursday, to be briefed on the violence.

The unrest comes amid discontent in loyalist communities with the post-Brexit arrangements that have created economic barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. The protests have also been linked to loyalist frustration over the handling of alleged COVID-19 regulation breaches by Sinn Fein politicians who attended the funeral of republican Bobby Storey.