BELFAST — Rioting by Catholics opposed to a Protestant march in Belfast left 28 new police casualties, officials said, while pressure mounted on the province's political leaders.
The new unrest late Monday prompted a top police officer to issue a rare challenge to Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson and his deputy Martin McGuinness to condemn publicly the events.
"I did not have a call from either of them in the run-up to this event and where are they today jointly speaking out against what has happened?" Assistant Chief Constable Alistair Finlay told BBC radio.
His comments came after republicans threw petrol bombs, concrete slabs and bottles at Protestant Orangemen and their police escort marching through the Ardoyne area in the north of the city late Monday.
Police responded with rubber bullets and water cannon in a bid to subdue the demonstrators. Earlier, officers in body armour removed more than 100 demonstrators who staged a sit-down protest in the road.
Fifty-five officers have been injured in 48 hours of rioting. The 28 new victims included a female officer who was hit with a breeze block, police said.
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