15 officers injured at city hall

4 December 2012 Last updated at 03:32 ET

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The street behind Belfast City Hall filled with smoke as police came under attack

Fifteen police officers were injured during rioting at Belfast City Hall on Monday night.

It followed the passing of a vote to change the council's policy of flying the Union flag all year round at the building.

A loyalist protest outside the building erupted into violence minutes after the vote was passed. Two security guards and a photographer were also hurt.

Disorder also broke out in east Belfast.

A crowd attacked officers with bottles and bricks in the Albertbridge Road and Templemore Avenue areas.

First Minister Peter Robinson condemned the violence but said the decision to remove the flag was "provocative".

'Damaged relations'

In a statement, the DUP leader said: "There is no excuse or justification for attacks on police officers, council staff, and property."

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Belfast City Council votes to change its Union flag policy, minutes before violence erupts

However, Mr Robinson added: "The decision to pursue the removal of the flag from city hall and other council buildings, despite warnings of the likely consequential impact on community relations, was foolish and provocative.

"Those who talk most about building community relations have by their actions in the council substantially damaged relations across the city."

Sinn Fein Policing Board member Gerry Kelly said the police operation had been completely inadequate.

"I have to say, and I don't use these words unless I really mean them, it was a disgraceful police operation, or lack of a police operation," he said.

"If that had been 1,000 or more republicans out there they would not have left it that they were able to come into the back of city hall."

However, Chief Superintendent Alan McCrum said there had been a "substantial police operation - there were dozens, in fact scores of police officers there last night."

"There was nothing to suggest last night that there was going to be serious violence," he added.

"Put the responsibility on the people who committed the criminality.

"Clearly there was a level of organisation - some people brought bolt cutters, others put on masks."

Justice Minister David Ford said some unionist politicians had to share some of the blame for the disturbances.

"The violence which took place at the city hall and round St Matthew's Church (in east Belfast) was the responsibility of two groups of people," he said.

"The first is those who went to the city hall spoiling for a fight, who attacked police officers and council staff.

"But there is a second group which bears responsibility. DUP and UUP politicians fomented this protest, with both leaflets and the use of social media.

"They called people on to the streets. They must have known, from experience as recent as this summer, that violence was almost inevitable."

Cultural identity

Nationalists had wanted the Union flag taken down altogether but in the end voted on a compromise from the Alliance party that it would fly on designated days.

The vote was passed by 29 to 21 - with unionists accusing the Sinn Fein, the SDLP and Alliance of attacking their cultural identity.

The council had to adjourn for half an hour when loyalists stormed Belfast City Hall's courtyard and came close to breaking into the building.

The DUP has now asked that the union flag be allowed to be flown every day from the cenotaph in the grounds of the building.

The proposal is being considered and requires the Alliance party to support it.

Of the five police officers who were injured in Monday night's violence, two policewomen were treated in hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life threatening.

Some of the protesters who had gathered outside the city hall used metal barriers, bottles and golf balls to attack the police, who maintained a heavy presence in the area.

Windows were also smashed on a number of cars parked within the courtyard, including a vehicle belonging to a DUP councillor.

A police spokesperson said they had deployed additional resources to deal with public disorder in both central and east Belfast.

There was an attempt to hijack a bus on the Albertbridge Road, and there were reports that St Matthew's Catholic Church on the lower Newtownards Road came under attack.

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