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A loyalist protester outside Belfast City Hall on Saturday Lesley-Anne McKeown/PA Wire

Children among 15 arrested during protests across Northern Ireland

An 11-year-old, a 12-year-old and two 13-year-olds were among those arrest after disorder broke out at loyalist protests last night.

FIFTEEN PEOPLE, INCLUDING an 11-year-old child, have been arrested after a night of protests across Northern Ireland.

One people officer was injured when violence broke out at some of the 80 protests held by loyalists to express their anger over the recent decision to reduce the number of days the Union flag is flown over Belfast City Hall.

An 11-year-old, a 12-year-old, two 13-year-olds and one 16-year-old were among the people arrested for public order offences.

The PSNI said the majority of protests were peaceful, with numbers ranging from small groups to hundreds of people. However disorder broke out at protests held in South and East Belfast, Portadown and Carrick.

Police have appealed for calm, saying that the violence “cannot and should not continue”.

“This is now the third week of protests and I am appealing to everyone involved to take a step back from this,” said Assistant Chief Constable Dave Jones of the PSNI. ”There were arrests [last night] and more will follow as we now trawl through evidence gathered by officers out on the ground”.

Christmas is less than one week away and now is the time to bring this to an end. I am appealing to those wishing to protest to consider how their actions are affecting the wider community who simply want to enjoy the festive period with their friends and families in peace.

Tensions have been running high across Northern Ireland since the motion was passed by Belfast councillors on Monday 3 December.

The homes of Alliance Party politicians were attacked after the party put forward a compromise to see the Union flag fly over Belfast City Hall for 15 days a year. A previous motion at the nationalist-controlled council had called for the flag to be taken down completely.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned the ongoing violence during her recent visit to Northern Ireland.

Retailers say the ongoing protests are badly affecting Chrismas shopping as consumers stay away from areas where protests are being held.

Read: Loyalists plan protests across North over new policy on Union flag >

Read: More than 1,200 attend Belfast peace rally >

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42 Comments
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    Mute joe stodge
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    Dec 18th 2012, 10:31 AM

    What do 11 and 12 year olds know about this? I’m guessing nothing.

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    Mute JayK
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    Dec 18th 2012, 11:11 AM

    I’m willing to bet that most people involved in this don’t know anything.

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    Mute Seamus Donoghue
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    Dec 18th 2012, 11:50 AM

    A better question is where were these kids on Good Friday 1998? Poor kids haven’t a clue.

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    Mute Pat D'Arcy
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    Dec 18th 2012, 10:38 AM

    Extremists polluting the minds of these children, they don’t have a chance to begin with.

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    Mute Reginald's Tower
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    Dec 18th 2012, 3:14 PM

    Teachers up north obviously aren’t giving the little pups enough homework. & aren’t they missing Home & Away?

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    Mute Nigel Nix
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    Dec 18th 2012, 10:53 AM

    As far as I am concerned all political buildings should have the “Jolly Roger” hanging outside cause they are all a shower of thieving pirate gangsters!

    114
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    Mute tom
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    Dec 18th 2012, 11:07 AM

    that has to be the best comment I’ve read in a long time

    40
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    Mute Cal1 Mooney
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    Dec 18th 2012, 10:44 AM

    If flying flags is going to be so contentious, then i honestly believe they should be banned from ANY public building, lamp-post, kerb-stone etc…
    Heavy fines for the resident associations that break this policy should be brought in.
    In less than 10 years, all of this flag burning etc would be a thing of the past.
    It sickens me that the burning or support of burning of Irish, Polish, Palestinian flags every year by so-called ‘normal’ people in the North is accepted as normality.
    This is the 21st century. The so called ‘loyal’ British now make up less than 50% of the population. They must accept the inevitable, they must share the land with everyone who lives there. Deliberate burning of flags to provoke reactions, should be treated in exactly the same manner as hate crimes, and racism, otherwise we will just endear another generation of hate filled bigots to come to fruition. It must be stomped out now.

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    Mute Rebecca De Stanleigh
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    Dec 18th 2012, 10:50 AM

    Can’t we just get rid of the people who burn the flags and not the flags themselves? I like my tricolour.

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    Mute Ciaran Pollard
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    Dec 18th 2012, 11:10 AM

    If they are that loyal to the flag, maybe they should be dressed in a UK infantry uniform and shipped out to some war-torn country like Syria where they can “thrive” in a “preferred” society of violence and hate.

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    Mute Justin Ferris
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    Dec 18th 2012, 10:48 AM

    Sounds like a lot of them are just out to cause trouble

    52
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    Mute Matthew Fitzpatrick
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    Dec 18th 2012, 11:03 AM

    Idiot kids haven’t a clue, they were born after the Good Friday Agreement for feck’s sake. The north they live in is the result of the peace process. Ungrateful little so and so’s the lot of them. They don’t deserve to wave either flag.

    51
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    Mute Poppy
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    Dec 18th 2012, 10:51 AM

    What’s the problem ? Why not let them fly their flag. Northern Ireland is currently part of UK so why not ?(Opinion of a Catholic from the ROI)

    36
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    Mute Cal1 Mooney
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    Dec 18th 2012, 10:56 AM

    Opinion of a Loyalist, I think NO FLAGS should be flown in the North. People are being murdered maimed and injured by thugs who believe the flag itself is worth killing for.

    102
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    Mute Rebecca De Stanleigh
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    Dec 18th 2012, 10:58 AM

    What does that say about the people in the north..? Wish we could just cut it off and send it off to sea with a flask of tea and some ham sambos. Best’o luck now.

    43
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    Mute Ollie O'Cleirigh
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    Dec 18th 2012, 11:04 AM

    Dumbest comment of the week.

    Can’t just turn our shoulder the other way. That happened after partition….what happened then?

    These idiots, a minority, should respect the democratic decision taken. You’ll find those that are rioting are violent uneducated close minded bigots.

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    Mute Rebecca De Stanleigh
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    Dec 18th 2012, 11:05 AM

    Eh JOKE. Relax yourself.

    28
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    Mute Joe Soap
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    Dec 18th 2012, 11:30 AM

    Rebecca. ….and leave our teddybear without a head?

    48
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    Mute joe stodge
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    Dec 18th 2012, 11:59 AM

    Because less than half of them seem to think that now, the times they are a changing.

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    Mute Marlon Major
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    Dec 18th 2012, 12:09 PM

    Until the country is united…. Why can’t a flag be created that reflects and represent both sides? It’s clear that the road to peace still needs some time and acceptance.

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    Mute Joe Soap
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    Dec 18th 2012, 12:48 PM

    Yes Marion. One that means peace between Catholics and Protestants.

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    Mute Cal1 Mooney
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    Dec 18th 2012, 1:07 PM

    Joe, it is not about religeon anymore. The Irish in the North, while they may be predominantly baptised Catholic (similar to the South of Ireland), cannot and should not be delineated by religeous lines. The vast majority do not regularly go to mass anymore (similar to the south). They see their culture as being Irish or Northern Irish now. (almost 50%). Less than 50% consider themselves British (and there are Catholics in the % also).
    Times have moved on, thankfully. Labelling people because of their religeous belief is far too simplistic and too assumptive.
    Its now down to people who label themselves Nationalists/Irish or Unionists/British. These are the largest groupings in the North today.

    21
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    Mute Joan Ruud Donnellan-Wijnen
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    Dec 18th 2012, 1:33 PM

    Opinion of a catholic called POPPY!!

    20
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    Mute Poppy
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    Dec 18th 2012, 1:54 PM

    Brigid & second name Mary actually….Poppy is just my favourite flower & the name I use for the Journal. I grew up in a strongly republican family where there was such intolerance for anything British. As an adult thankfully I am tolerant to all beliefs. Regarding the flag…..I’d just ignore it….I wouldn’t even give it head space. It’s usually the dregs of society who’ve little else happening in their lives that have time to riot. Life’s too short to be intolerant of others :-)

    16
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    Mute Séamus
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    Dec 18th 2012, 4:01 PM

    Who says ROI in Ireland? Nobody. I think you are lying about where you come from.

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    Mute Poppy
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    Dec 18th 2012, 6:03 PM

    I say ROI to save on words !! Aren’t we a right little detective, Seamus. To prove I’m a southern catholic would you like me to recite a cúpla focail ? or maybe mention something from the syllabus of the intercert (that’s pre junior cert) or maybe recite some of the sorrowful or joyful mysteries of the rosary ??
    I’m not good at baking & can’t make jam so I’m def not Protestant !!
    Any more proof needed ?

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    Mute Séamus
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    Dec 20th 2012, 12:34 AM

    mysteries of the rosary? Jam? southern? Your a right little troll. Run along.

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    Mute Michael Gibson
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    Dec 18th 2012, 2:30 PM

    Now is the time to ask the ordinary U.K. citizen if s/he wishes to retain this link with these #$%$. The U.K. taxpayer’s money that supports this link could be better spent on Health and Social Welfare in mainland U.K.

    23
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    Mute Briny Boy
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    Dec 18th 2012, 12:24 PM

    To those who are fervently hoping for a united Ireland in their lifetime, be careful what you wish for.

    22
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    Mute Stephen murphy
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    Dec 18th 2012, 11:23 AM

    Could Michael D. Higgins fly the Union Jack outside the presidential Palace in Dublin, show these people how civilised people behave over a flag and try shame them into behaving properly?

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    Mute Briny Boy
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    Dec 18th 2012, 12:22 PM

    I’m sure he could Stephen but I doubt he’d like to be responsible for the mayhem that would follow!

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    Mute Gallagher Martin
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    Dec 18th 2012, 1:57 PM

    One thing….kids are just the puppets of the people who are using this “injustice” to bring Belfast back 20years….

    Arrest the real puppetmasters….

    13
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    Mute Damocles
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    Dec 18th 2012, 11:46 AM

    I can think of two possible solutions to the entire NI situation.

    1. Erect vandal proofed loudspeakers throughout the entire country. Every 15 minutes make the following announcement “Grow Up And Stop Fighting Each Other You Tucking Fools”. Do that for about two weeks and see if people are more open to discussion and compromise and less willing to fanny about.

    2. Fence off an area of countryside or erect a cordon around an island and place 30 representatives of each interested faction therein. Drop food parcels at random spots in the area (to stop one faction controlling the food) expect compromises to start being reached around the first winter, or the second.

    [I like suggesting 2 for all manner of things, people invariably suggest putting in hidden cameras but that's not really the point there's enough bad TV around.]

    12
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    Mute Cal1 Mooney
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    Dec 18th 2012, 12:36 PM

    Damocles, why subject all the people in the North to your proposed solution, when its primarily a small group of murderous thugs that are terrorising the Irish people there. Based on you logic, all the people in the South should suffer the same fate, based on the story of the dissidents trying to murder a member of the British army in Limerick?
    I think the sooner we get rid of the flags and remove the contentious Unionist paramilitary parades around the 12th of July and make the North as neutral as possible, the sooner we get a solution. Less than 50% of the people living there now, consider themselves British. 20 years ago, that number was almost 60%. In 20 years, it will probably be less than 25%.
    The writing is on the wall, remove all provocation from the North and we will have peace.

    16
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    Mute Damocles
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    Dec 18th 2012, 12:42 PM

    “why subject all the people in the North to your proposed solution”

    It creates a self policing solution. If anyone, whatsoever, regardless of their political proclivities starts fannying about or even thinking about killing someone or proposing a particularly divisive policy or law, anyone at all, the entire community will turn round and go “No! We are not having those bloody speakers come on again.”

    “its primarily a small group of murderous thugs that are terrorising the Irish people there.”

    A minority of people from a variety of communities are acting stupidly towards all the people there, regardless of creed or national loyalty.

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    Mute Cal1 Mooney
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    Dec 18th 2012, 12:46 PM

    You didn’t answer my point, they are in the South also, would you apply the same policy to the whole Island?

    13
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    Mute Damocles
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    Dec 18th 2012, 1:54 PM

    But what bothers you isn’t that plan 1 is draconian and vaguely insane, it isn’t that it’s full of holes and that anyone with double glazing just has to close the windows, what bothers you is that it might be directed at what you consider the “wrong” people.

    Classy.

    3
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    Mute Cal1 Mooney
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    Dec 18th 2012, 2:32 PM

    No Damocles….. Its not that is was targetted at the wrong people, it was targetted at ALLL people, guilty or innocent. We have seen how well that works in Gazza, collective punishment of an entire population, just because of the actions of a few.
    My proposal was that anyone caught trying to fly flags (in either Tri-color Nationalist areas or British flags in Loyalist areas) should be fined. Fine the residents associations if they are found to be hanging more than a day.
    It really is that simple. But your proposal was to use Psychological war-fare on an entire population. Man, you have probs.

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    Mute Damocles
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    Dec 18th 2012, 2:36 PM

    I’ve already described it as “draconian and vaguely insane”, what leads you to think I’m entirely serious?

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    Mute Michael O'Reilly
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    Dec 18th 2012, 5:58 PM

    Prosecute the parents under child welfare legislation!

    6
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    Mute Gerard
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    Dec 18th 2012, 7:13 PM

    Why was my comment removed ?

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