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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
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| Belfast flag riots: man due in court on firearms charges | Belfast flag riots: man due in court on firearms charges |
| (4 months later) | |
| A 38-year-old man is due to appear in court on Monday charged with possessing a firearm during Saturday's loyalist riots in Belfast. | A 38-year-old man is due to appear in court on Monday charged with possessing a firearm during Saturday's loyalist riots in Belfast. |
| His appearance at Belfast magistrates court comes after a fourth consecutive night of violence in the east of the city linked to the flag dispute. | His appearance at Belfast magistrates court comes after a fourth consecutive night of violence in the east of the city linked to the flag dispute. |
| The suspect was charged by detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland's serious crime branch with possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, riotous behaviour and failing to remove a disguise when requested by a constable. | The suspect was charged by detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland's serious crime branch with possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, riotous behaviour and failing to remove a disguise when requested by a constable. |
| It is understood he was arrested during a security operation involving officers on the ground and a PSNI helicopter flying over the Newtonards Road area on Saturday evening. The Guardian has learned the PSNI used special technology that can identify flashes from gun barrels being fired to locate a suspect on the ground. | It is understood he was arrested during a security operation involving officers on the ground and a PSNI helicopter flying over the Newtonards Road area on Saturday evening. The Guardian has learned the PSNI used special technology that can identify flashes from gun barrels being fired to locate a suspect on the ground. |
| The disorder erupted after protesters, who attended an earlier peaceful flags march through the centre of Belfast, returned home to the east. Missiles were thrown from the nationalist side, however, and loyalist protesters then became embroiled in street violence. | The disorder erupted after protesters, who attended an earlier peaceful flags march through the centre of Belfast, returned home to the east. Missiles were thrown from the nationalist side, however, and loyalist protesters then became embroiled in street violence. |
| Riot officers battled serious disorder for several hours, before it was quelled by the PSNI deploying water cannon and firing three plastic bullet rounds. | Riot officers battled serious disorder for several hours, before it was quelled by the PSNI deploying water cannon and firing three plastic bullet rounds. |
| There was further trouble on Sunday night close to a sectarian interface with the Catholic Short Strand area as mainly young loyalists attacked the police with fireworks, bricks and bottles. However, the violence was not on the same scale as the previous three days. | There was further trouble on Sunday night close to a sectarian interface with the Catholic Short Strand area as mainly young loyalists attacked the police with fireworks, bricks and bottles. However, the violence was not on the same scale as the previous three days. |
| Matt Baggott, PSNI's chief constable, at a press conference on Monday asked protesters to "take a step back, for the violence to come to an end, for responsible voices to be heard". | Matt Baggott, PSNI's chief constable, at a press conference on Monday asked protesters to "take a step back, for the violence to come to an end, for responsible voices to be heard". |
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