Fifteen Police Officers Injured as Riot Erupts in South Belfast

Fifteen police officers were injured and seven people were arrested after a riot broke out in South Belfast on Friday, April 2, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said.

The BBC reported that up to 100 people had gathered near Shaftesbury Square where a loyalist protest had been expected on Friday night.

Belfast District Commander Chief Superintendent Simon Walls said a small protest quickly turned into an attack on police in nearby Sandy Row.

This drone footage captures a line of police officers, followed closely by several armored vehicles, moving down Donegall Street toward a crowd of people at the junction of Sandy Row.

“A total of 15 officers were injured after being subjected to a sustained attack by rioters who threw a number of objects at police, including heavy masonry, metal rods, fireworks and manhole covers," Walls said. “Their injuries include burns, head and leg injuries,” he added. Credit: @Lord_weeks via Storyful