It strikes me that all the arguments over whether the UK or the Irish Republic run Northern Ireland is a bit pointless. Everyone knows that in many parts of Northern Ireland, it's the paramilitaries that run the show, as amply demonstrated by the so-called "loyalist" scumbags rioting on the streets in north Belfast last night around the Woodvale/Crumlin Road area. Why? Because the police were carrying out a murder investigation!

A bus was hijacked and set alight, 10 cars were hijacked (probably suffering the same fate) and a blast bomb were thrown at the police among other targets. So many petrol bombs were thrown at the police that they lost count! This was no spur of the moment riot, this was clearly planned. 40 police officers were injured although none of the injuries are thought to be life threatening. There's a brief post on this from last night over at A Tangled Web.

So let's put this into perspective. These loyalists launched a mindless and brutal attack on the forces of the state that they're 'loyal' too (injuring 40), as well as transport services, because the police service of the state they're 'loyal' to investigated the murder of a citizen of the country they're 'loyal' to.

Follow up:

Loyalists - don't make me laugh. These scumbags are as bad as Sinn Fein and their MOPEing "protesters". They even whent on the whinge about police heavy-handedness during earlier searches when the police had been searching homes in connection with the ongoing loyalist feud.

DUP councillor William Humphrey voiced concern about what he called "heavy handedness" at a meeting with police yesterday. ACC Wilson did said that any allegations surrounding police behaviour in the area would be investigated.

"...in the face of provocation and unprovoked attacks on our officers while they're doing searches, eggs being thrown at them, one officer hit in the head with a brick, they say our officers were uncivil."
Acting Assistant Chief Constable Wesley Wilson

A DUP representative (it may have been Mr Humphrey, but I'm not sure) appeared on BBC Newsline to say that no amount of heavy handedness yesterday could ever justify the scenes witness in north Belfast last night.

The SDLP's Alban Maginness said "We cannot have a situation where loyalist criminals organise and begin a riot just because the police move to hold them to account under the law," while Northern Ireland's criminal justice minister David Hanson said "Once again it is loyalist paramilitaries who have brought violence into loyalist areas."

On a side note, police fired 11 plastic bullets at the rioters. Sinn Fein have been strangely quiet, given their normal penchant for whinging every time the police are forced to use PBRs. All this in the face of the army's demilitarisation. Can the police really cope on their own, or should the army be moved from republican areas to loyalist ones where it would seem there's more need for their services?

Update: 17:12
DUP leader Rev Ian Paisley has condemmned the rioters and said that if there really are complaints about the police his party will take up the case.
"I would call upon those involved to step back and ensure that there are no repeats. If people in North Belfast have genuine grievances against the police, then I and my party colleagues in the constituency are more than happy to take up their cases but there can never be any excuse for attacking the police in this way."

Sammy Wilson said he suspects the UVF were behind organising the violence and subjecting the police to an unjustified attack. It's oft-heard over at Slugger O'Toole that unionist politicians are too quick to condemn republican terrorists and rioters but too slow to condemn loyalist ones. Sometimes I think they may have a point, but I hope they give credit where it's due on this one, as I've done.