The Five Demands

Fresh disorder erupts in east Belfast (UTV)

Petrol bombs, stones and fireworks have been thrown at police as sporadic trouble erupted in east Belfast on Friday night.

Police say officers are dealing with disorder in the vicinity of Castlereagh Street in the city.

A PSNI spokesman said motorists are being advised to avoid Castlereagh Street, Woodstock Link, Albertbridge Road and Templemore Avenue “due to ongoing disorder”.

Water cannon was deployed in the area.

UTV’s Sharon O’Neill, who is at the scene, said the area was “calm but tense”.

She later tweeted: “Scuffles as police make arrest in east Belfast”.

Earlier a flag protest was held at Woodstock Link.

Translink said a number of Ulsterbus and Metro services were disrupted in and around the city.

Normal services have since resumed, with some diversions in east Belfast.

It is the second night of violence in the area. On Thursday night trouble broke out in the wake of a loyalist flag protest, injuring 10 police officers.

Earlier First Minister Peter Robinson strongly condemned the street violence.

Mr Robinson said those behind the unrest were playing into the hands of dissident republicans.

“Those responsible are doing a grave disservice to the cause they claim to espouse and are playing into the hands of those dissident groups who would seek to exploit every opportunity to further their terror aims,” he said.

Last month, Belfast councillors voted to limit the number of days the Union Flag is flown over City Hall – a decision which the DUP leader has described as “ill-considered and provocative”.

“All right-thinking unionists will want to channel their energies into political activity and to support the cause of finding political solutions to the problems that we face,” Mr Robinson said.

“The real purpose of those who claim to speak for some of the organisers of the protests is fast becoming clear,” he added.

“It is a straight-forward politically motivated attempt to undermine the DUP as the voice of unionism despite our attempts to oppose the removal of the Union Flag in Belfast.”

Further flag protests are planned in the coming days.

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