North Belfast kicks off…

The BBC are reporting that water cannon and baton rounds have been used in north Belfast after a sustained attack on police in the Woodvale area.  Four police officers and one civilian, to date, are reported to have been injured in the disorder.  And there have been a number of clashes between rival loyalist and nationalist groups in the area.  The Guardian is live-blogging events.

• The first violent clashes erupted around twenty minutes to eight in the north end of Belfast city centre at the junction of York Road and Great Frederick Street, two main routes into the northern part of the city.

• The second flashpoint to degenerate into violence and which is still ongoing is at Woodvale Avenue, further north in the city, in the Greater Shankill area. This area is close to the republican Ardoyne district where Orangemen were allowed to march past this morning but
were banned from parading by again this evening.

• The final trouble-zone is across the river Lagan in east Belfast where the larger loyalist Newtonards Road area meets the only Catholic enclave in that part of the city, the Short Strand.

Adds  North Belfast MP, the DUPs Nigel Dodds, has been taken to hospital after being knocked unconscious during the disorder.

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