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Girl (16) hurt as car ploughs into nationalist crowd

A 16-year-old girl was rushed to hospital last night after a car ploughed into a nationalist crowd
A 16-year-old girl was rushed to hospital last night after a car ploughed into a nationalist crowd A 16-year-old girl was rushed to hospital last night after a car ploughed into a nationalist crowd

A 16-year-old girl was rushed to hospital last night after a car ploughed into a nationalist crowd following an Orange Order parade in north Belfast.

There were terrifying scenes as several people were knocked down on the Crumlin Road at Ardoyne, with riot police forced to lift the car to rescue the teenager.

It happened as loyalist rioting broke out after thousands of Orangemen, bands and their supporters had marched to police lines blocking the route through the nationalist area.

Eyewitnesses said the driver of the car, wearing a band uniform and believed to be a member of a parading forum, had stopped at a traffic light when onlookers started booing him. One man was also seen to kick his wing mirror.

Nationalist protesters shouted "let him go", but he appeared to panic and drive into the crowd.

The car injured several people, before reversing and hitting the 16-year-old girl from Ardoyne, who became trapped underneath.

Police lifted the car and gave first aid as paramedics in riot gear arrived, while Holy Cross parish priest Fr Gary Donegan comforted her mother.

Some bystanders attempted to pull the bandsman from the car, but he was taken to safety by police and later arrested.

The girl's condition in hospital was described as stable last night.

The Greater Ardoyne Residents' Collective said the girl could have been killed.

Meanwhile, 24 officers were injured after bottles and bricks were thrown at police lines during rioting by loyalists.

Water cannon was later used on protesters along Twaddell Avenue.

First Minister Peter Robinson said the violence would be condemned by all right-thinking people.

"The PSNI is tasked with upholding the rule of law and it is vital that those involved in such riotous activity cease and are held accountable.

"They do a massive disservice to the wider cause they claim to support."

Violence erupted after riot squad officers blocked access to a flashpoint stretch of the Crumlin Road.

Items were thrown within minutes of the parade reaching police lines.

A number of loyalists broke through and danced on the bonnets of PSNI armoured vehicles.

Loyalist bandsmen played the sectarian Famine Song to the same tune as the Beach Boys' Sloop John B, but with anti-Catholic lyrics. They also played The Sash.

Women and children mixed among the bandsmen and Orange Order members in the massed crowd barracking the police lines.

They were pushed back using water cannons and an uneasy stand-off ensued with large groups of republicans and loyalists yards apart separated by police.

A massive security operation had been put in place at the flashpoint, which has been the scene of repeated rioting over many years.

The Parades Commission, which rules on contentious marches, had issued a determination barring Orangemen from part of the Crumlin Road.

Orangemen have called for the commission to be disbanded while nationalists have asked for more dialogue.

There was no rioting last year after Orangemen marshalled loyalist protesters but in 2013 - when restrictions were imposed on the parade for the first time - mass violence broke out in the Woodvale area.

Sinn Fein's Gerry Kelly said people were "disappointed" the situation deteriorated into violence and appealed for community leadership.

PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton said his thoughts were with the injured officers and teenage girl.