Fears of sectarian Brexit-linked riots as second bus is hijacked and burned near Belfast
It is the second such incident in and around Belfast in the past week
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A double-decker bus was hijacked and set on fire near a loyalist estate on the outskirts of Belfast in what could be another protest against the Northern Ireland protocol.
Police said four men boarded the bus in Church Road near Rathcoole in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, at about 7.45pm on Sunday evening and ordered passengers to get off.
The bus was then set alight across the road.
Stormont infrastructure minister Nichola Mallon was among those to post footage online of the vehicle on fire.
Last Monday a bus was hijacked and burned in a loyalist area of Newtownards, Co Down, while disorder also broke out at a community interface in west Belfast twice last week.
A community interface is a location, mainly in working-class neighbourhoods, where segregated nationalist and unionist residential streets and estates meet.
Youths from nationalist Springfield Road and loyalist Shankill Road attacked police with missiles on Wednesday and Bonfire Night on Friday.
The disorder on Wednesday had followed a protest and rally against the Northern Ireland Protocol.
That part of the Brexit agreement states that all checks on goods traveling from Britain to Northern Ireland should instead be carried out at ports on either side of the Irish Sea. Many unionists believe this has created a border between Britain and Northern Ireland.
Ms Mallon tweeted: “Our bus drivers are working class people who deserve to be safe in their jobs. What does this madness achieve?!”
A Police Service of Northern Ireland spokesman said: “Police received a report of a hijacking incident in the Church Road area of Newtownabbey at around 7.45pm on Sunday evening.
“It was reported that four men got onto the bus and ordered passengers off before the bus was then set alight.
Could integrated education ease years of sectarianism in Northern Ireland?
Sectarianism is alive and well in Northern Ireland – and Boris Johnson is recklessly picking at the scabs
Northern Ireland: What happened last night and was murdered journalist Lyra McKee targeted because she was reporting on sectarian violence?
Coroner rules victims in 1971 Belfast shooting were innocent
Belfast’s murals brought them together – now their communities could be divided once again
The violence comes after PM Boris Johnson and Brexit minister Lord Frost have argued the EU’s interpretation of the Brexit deal has led to difficulties which have created the condition to justify the use of Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Triggering Article 16 would effectively suspend elements of the arrangement that effectively keeps Northern Ireland inside the EU's single market for goods, resulting in some checks for products crossing the Irish Sea from the rest of the UK.
Mr Johnson’s government gave the EU a December deadline to find a solution on the protocol.
Any British move to suspend parts of the Northern Ireland protocol could prompt the EU to do likewise with the Brexit trade deal, Ireland's foreign minister Simon Coveney has warned.
Brussels would respond in a “very serious way,” he said in warning against moves that could spark a trade war.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments