School to reopen despite second night of violence
Holy Cross girls primary school is reopening today despite a second night of serious violence across north Belfast which left over 30 police and troops injured.
A large force of police is expected to be on duty to ensure the Catholic children get to class safely despite loyalists saying they will not mount a fresh protest.
The school was closed yesterday following a night of intense orchestrated violence in the area which left some 40 police injured.
But despite continuing attacks by both nationalists and loyalist crowds which left almost three dozen police and troops injured in a second night of rioting, the school board of governors decided it was better to reopen in the interests of both pupils and staff.
Father Aiden Troy, chairman of the board of governors, said: ‘‘The board has come to the conclusion, hopefully rightly, that the sooner we get the children back into a settled situation the better.
‘‘It could even have a calming effect on the whole situation here.’’
Father Troy addressed a meeting of parents held at a neighbouring school and said it would be for them to decide whether to take their children to Holy Cross today.
Upper Ardoyne Protestants accused nationalists of orchestrating the wave of street violence of the past two nights to try to provoke a resumption of the daily loyalist protest at Holy Cross which marred much of last term - but said they would not be drawn back to the demonstration.
The Glenbryn Residents Committee met privately with local political representatives to discuss the street violence.
Community worker Mark Coulter said afterwards: ‘‘There is obvious pressure on this community from elements in the nationalist community to call the protest back on again.
‘‘People are very, very clear that they are not going to be used as political pawns by anyone. We are going to resist the pressure we are coming under to have any sort of protest and we are calling on people to remain calm.’’
The school has been at the eye of the bitter sectarian conflict between the rival communities in north Belfast and last night the violence was as bad as ever.
Blast bombs, petrol bombs, acid bombs and other missiles rained down on police as nationalists took the lead in the rioting for the second night running.
Police retaliated with plastic bullets and called in army bombs disposal experts to examine a number of suspicious objects lying in the road after being thrown at them.
Around 300 nationalists - some attacking police from the roof tops, were involved in the rioting and a short distance away some 60 loyalists confronted troops at Twaddell Avenue where a soldier was injured when hit in the face by an acid bomb.
Police said a number of arrests had been made as the violence continued.
Several cars and vans which had been earlier hijacked were also set on fire in the rubble strewn streets.
The trouble spread to the Whitewell Road and Serpentine Gardens where cars were damaged and houses had their windows smashed.
