ARDOYNE RIOTS: Investment 'could be harmed' by the negative publicity
PICTURES of hooded youths with their petrol bombs lighting up the Belfast night sky have once again tarnished the image of Northern Ireland in the eyes of the world.
The same news agencies who spread the word of our much-lauded peace process are now casting a more critical light on the remaining obstacles to progress.
Although this month's violence was ugly and unwarranted, it was a far cry from the more deadly episodes of our past and was relatively isolated by comparison.
However, the world's media made it headline news and the cost to the economy could eventually be much more than the damage to police vehicles and private property.
There are genuine fears the negative publicity could severely damage the potential to attract inward investment to Northern Ireland.
Describing the first day of disturbances, Far East news agency Japan Today said: "Police battled Irish nationalists for control of a Belfast road Monday as a day dominated by peaceful Protestant parades across Northern Ireland turned violent when night fell."
The Middle East English language newspaper Arab News reported "Belfast riot police braced for a second night of conflict with Irish nationalists" as "Protestants from the conservative Orange Order brotherhood mounted their divisive annual marches across Northern Ireland".
"Northern Ireland rocked by third night of sectarian riots," was the headline used by the France 24 news team, and China Today reported "children as young as nine joined riots in Northern Ireland as shots were fired at police in a third night of violence blamed on republicans opposed to the British province's peace process".
In America, the Boston Globe called for "Catholic teenagers and children engaged in Belfast rioting to stop before one of them is killed and becomes a martyr for Irish Republican Army dissidents."
Invest NI has warned that, as countries emerge from a global downturn, "competition for inward investment projects has never been higher".
A spokeswoman said: "Although these incidents were isolated and confined to a very small local area, this type of activity can have a negative impact on our ability to attract investment."
The spokeswoman said Invest NI continues to promote Northern Ireland as "one of the world's most attractive, competitive and safe places to do business" but added: "Last week, Invest NI facilitated a number of visits from potential investors and a general view expressed by them was that such incidents do not need to be considered in other competing locations."
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Weather for Belfast
Tuesday 14 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 6 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North west
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Temperature: 5 C to 10 C
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