NORTHERN IRELAND: ARDOYNE: RESIDENTS CLEAN UP AFTER RIOTING

(17 Jul 1996) English/Nat

Northern Ireland is picking up the pieces following some of the worst rioting the province has seen in 20 years.

The Catholic neighbourhood of Ardoyne in north Belfast was among the hardest hit by weekend rioting, sparked by a decision by the police to allow Protestants to march through Catholic neighbourhoods.

Residents sorting through the rubble expressed their frustration and anger at a peace process that appears to be quickly disintegrating.

The state of peace in Northern Ireland is in ruins - symbolised by the rubble that litters the ground in the Catholic neighbourhood of Ardoyne in North Belfast.

The area was among several flashpoints throughout the province that erupted into violence when angry Catholics clashed with police in three nights of rioting.

Catholics were infuriated with the decision to permit the Protestant "Orange Order" to march through Catholic neighbourhoods.

The ensuing violence tore through Catholic areas, reminding some of the start of the "Troubles" more than two decades ago.

Now, in the aftermath, the prospect of peace seems further away than ever.

SOUNDBITE:
Everybody on this road and all over Northern Ireland want peace. And as far as you can see this place is absolutely devastated. It's like Beirut. I hope to God and pray to God that there is peace. People just don't want to live like this anymore. The kids and everything, they're growing up and seeing all this hatred. It's just going to start all over again.
SUPER CAPTION: Anne Neill, resident

Residents here see the violence over the weekend as a giant step back, an erosion of a peace plan that isn't working.

They say they are tired of promises from politicians, that when the diplomacy falters -- as it did last week -- they're the ones who bear the brunt of the damage.

SOUNDBITE:
Ordinary, everyday people are the ones that suffer for it. They're not suffering from it, they're going back to their big houses with their big pay packets at the end of the month. And it's people like us that the world see. What can you expect? It's been three days since there's been any trouble and this rubble is still here. People are afraid to come into the area and they won't clean it up. It's not right.

SUPER CAPTION: Julie Pettigrew, resident

The cleanup is likely to take several weeks.

The ground is peppered with fragments of thousands of petrol bombs lobbed at police and buildings in towns and cities throughout Northern Ireland.

Rioters hijacked and destroyed vehicles, setting them on fire after crashing them.

Police retaliated by firing plastic bullets at the protestors.

One man died when he was hit by a police vehicle that was ploughing through a barricade.

Some echoed the familiar sentiment of nationalist areas that the conflict won't be resolved until the British leave the province.

SOUNDBITE:
I've known so many men and women who have given their lives for our country, and I'd be very happy to see peace, but we will never have peace until the British are out of our country.

SUPER CAPTION: Kathleen Riordan, resident

The increased military presence on the streets of Ardoyne suggests that won't happen anytime soon.

The armoured personnel carriers, trundling through the debris, send the message that if peace cannot be agreed, it will be imposed.

For some people in Ardoyne, like the owner of this destroyed pizza restaurant, it's already too late.

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