Riots in Northern Ireland spurred by Brexit, Crime and Covid-19 restrictions

LONDON – Dozens of police officers have been injured in more than a week of unrest in Northern Ireland, where anger over the effects of Brexit on the UK region crosses crime and the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The disturbance highlights the ongoing challenges surrounding the UK’s split with the European Union for British and EU leaders, eager to prevent the delicate trade management arrangements between the bloc and its former member state from creating a hard-to-reach peace in the North. -Disrupt Europe. Ireland that ended decades of violence.

On Thursday, the White House expressed concern about the violence. Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the government is joining British, Irish and Northern Irish leaders in their calls for calm, reaffirming US support for ‘a safe and prosperous Northern Ireland in which all communities have a voice and enjoy the gains of hard-won peace. “

Northern Ireland politicians and analysts say the nighttime riots in predominantly Protestant areas reflect resentment among pro-British unionists in Northern Ireland over what they see as a series of concessions to Irish nationalists who want the region to break away from the UK and unites with the Republic of Ireland.

Chief among these are trade deals linked to Brexit, where union members risk weakening ties between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK and strengthening the region’s ties with Ireland and the EU.

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