TROUBLE which broke out in east Belfast on Thursday night after a major flag protest left 10 police officers injured.
A 23-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy have been charged over the violence incident.
Ten police officers were injured and one needed hospital treatment after a series of violent attacks linked to protests over the decision by councillors to restrict the flying of the Union Flag over City Hall. The victim was later released from hospital.
At one stage a road was blocked by a burning car in the Templemore Avenue area.
Hooded and masked gangs pelted officers with bricks, bottles and petrol bombs.
Motorists were diverted away from the disorder - the latest outbreak since last month’s City Hall decision.
Meanwhile in Newtownards, representatives of flag protestors across Northern Ireland elected 10 people to a committee to decide their way ahead.
Controversial victims campaigner Willie Frazer said he had been elected as an official spokesman for the ‘People’s Forum’.
“There is no chairman, but people who have been elected include Johnny Harvey, Jamie Bryson and Pastor Mark Gordon,” he said. “We had representatives tonight from Rathfriland, Tandragee, Markethill, east Belfast, the Shankill Road, Tiger’s Bay, Coagh and Carrickfergus.”
He said that representatives from others also wish to become involved. Around 100 people took part in the meeting, he added.
A number of immediate aims were agreed tonight, Mr Frazer said.
“We unanimously supported a return to direct rule and we agreed we will not be talking to politicians until they re-engage with people on the ground,” he said.
“We are saying that the flag has to go back up on Belfast City Hall; one-sided inquiries about the past have to stop; the demonisation of the security forces [during the Troubles] has to stop and there must be an inquiry as to how the £1.5bn peace money from Europe was spent. Who got it?”
After the election some representatives of the new forum travelled to the scene of the riots in east Belfast where Mr Frazer criticised police methods used last night.
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