Sunday night saw the start of extremely violent riots in the Carlisle Circus area of Belfast. The riots were a result of sectarian clashes, and are linked to a republican parade that took place nearby a loyalist protest. Rioters hurled petrol bombs, stones, bottles, fireworks and rocks toward police lines. They even hijacked a van before pushing it towards police lines!

These riots are still flaring up as we speak. So far, 61 police officers have been injured. Will Kerr, Assistant Chief Constable of the Northern Ireland Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, explains why things are about to go from bad to worse:

Collectively, we cannot afford to wait and we cannot have night after night of violence on our streets. Following two nights of disorder, we have a number of police officers who are no longer available to deliver their core policing duties, protecting the communities they serve.

Here are some images from the past two nights:

[Source: The Independent]