PSNI on alert for July 12 troubles

Police in Northern Ireland are preparing a “significant” security operation for the July Twelfth to curb violence expected to erupt during orange marches. The announcement comes after trouble flared over the weekend in different areas of Northern Ireland including Ballyclare, Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus and Magherafelt leaving several police officers injured as several vehicles were hijacked and torched during violent riots. The unrest has raised concerns that this year's July 12 parade will lead to another serious outbreak of violence. Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Alistari Finlay has called on all socially and politically influential figures to “stay calm” adding police will deploy 60 Land Rovers for the first time as part of the security operation on Tuesday evening. "This is a period of heightened tension and I'm here to appeal for those who have a particular ability to influence, to stay calm, to stay collected, to talk to one another," Finlay said. "Such violence damages local infrastructure, it sets back relationships and leaves wounds which take time to heal,” he added. On Saturday night, some 100 pro-British rioters gathered in Ballyclare , County Antrim, and used petrol bombs and missiles to target the police. Police said the crowd hijacked 15 vehicles including two buses one of which was rammed into a police vehicle leaving five officers injured while another police member suffered injuries when he was hit with stones. The trouble spread to other areas of Northern Ireland early on Sunday. Several vehicles were hijacked in Carrickfergus while Larne and in ewtownabbey also witnessed violent incidents. Trouble was also reported in Dundonald on Sunday night when rioters set road barriers on fire and hit a police vehicle trying to disperse them with a petrol bomb. This comes as First Minister Peter Robinson and his deputy Martin McGuinness have called on the public to “step back and think” to prevent violence. "I call upon everyone to take a step back and think of the consequences before doing something which you will later regret," Robinson said. Meanwhile, McGuinness said there are still several problem areas that need to be tackled though he advised everyone against taking part in acts of violence. "Issues surrounding a small number of contentious parades need to be resolved. I call on elected representatives, community leaders and indeed everyone in positions of authority within local communities to use their influence wisely this summer," he said.