Trouble in Northern Ireland

 

Belfast, Northern Ireland
Loyalists clash with police during a protest against the Northern Ireland Protocol

Photograph: Charles McQuillan/Getty

 

A senior police leader has pleaded for calm over the Northern Ireland protocol as a 12-year-old boy was arrested after a hundred rioters attacked officers at a rally.  Chief Superintendent Darrin Jones said he was “saddened” after police were attacked with missiles and fireworks close to a peace line in Belfast on Wednesday evening.

What is the Northern Island Protocol?

During Brexit negotiations, all sides agreed that protecting the 1998 Northern Ireland peace deal (the Good Friday agreement) was an absolute priority.

That meant keeping the land border open and avoiding new infrastructure such as cameras and border posts.  This was easy to do when both Ireland and Northern Ireland were part of the EU. Both sides automatically shared the same EU rules on trade and no checks were needed on goods travelling between them.