- Bricks, bottles and other missiles were hurled in the east of the city
- Demonstrators were returning from protest outside Belfast City Hall
- Senior politicians from Belfast, Dublin and London are to meet next week to discuss the protests
By Anna Edwards
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Sixteen police officers were injured during sectarian riots between republicans and loyalists in east Belfast today.
Water cannons and non-lethal baton rounds were fired by officers as they came under a hail of bricks and fireworks when they separated the opposing factions at an interface flashpoint on the Albertbridge Road near Short Strand.
Demonstrators were returning from a 1,000-strong protest outside Belfast City Hall against the council's decision to restrict the flying of the Union flag.
Violence sparks: A family walks past a burning hijacked car during rioting in east Belfast
A hijacked car burns as a police officer in riot gear stands nearby
Armoured police vehicles surround a burning car following violence between, loyalists, nationalists and the police
Police used a water cannon against protester in east Belfast as violence got out of control
A police water cannon fires a jet at protesters in east Belfast
Countless roads have been blocked during the loyalist campaign - in one case north of Belfast a pensioner trying to visit his dying wife in hospital was turned back.
He said: 'If your wife was dying what would you be doing? Have a bit of sense. Protestants, you don't know the meaning of the word, take yourselves home, show a bit of respect for people.'
They responded by jeering 'cheerio' in a recording made by the BBC.
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In west Belfast a GP was twice prevented from attending a home visit with a patient terminally ill with cancer.
Nationalist SDLP MLA Conall McDevitt said: 'These are depraved acts which immediately dismiss any claim on a protest being peaceful.'
An ugly brawl happened as loyalists returned from a demonstration at city hall, against the council's decision to limit the number of days the union flag is flown.
The turmoil over the past five weeks has been some of the most sustained in the British-ruled province since 1998
A loyalist protester wrapped in Union Flags throws a wooden post at police in riot gear
A balaclava-clad protester hurls a brick at police during the disturbances
A loyalist rioter draped in a Union flag runs up to police lines to smash a metal barrier into their ranks
Police in riot gear and armoured vehicles clash with Union flag waving loyalist protesters
Loyalist protesters demonstrate outside Belfast City Hall in Belfast
There have been 39 days of protests over Belfast City Council's decision to fly the flag on designated days only
Police used a water cannon and fired one non-lethal round during protests over the restrictions on the flying of the flag in Belfast
Rocks and fireworks were also thrown at Albertbridge Road, near the nationalist Short Strand.
Police used a water cannon and fired one non-lethal round during protests over the restrictions on the flying of the flag in Belfast.
Earlier, nearly 1,000 people gathered at Belfast City Hall to protest. Some roads in the city centre have been closed and police are advising motorists to avoid the area.
Loyalists pelted police with bottles and stones in a new outbreak of trouble in east Belfast last night over the decision to only raise the flag on 18 designated days a year.
Bricks, bottles and other missiles were hurled in east Belfast this afternoon, an eyewitness said.
Under attack: An injured PSNI officer on Castlereagh Street, Belfast
Loyalists demonstrators clash with police during rioting in Belfast during a protest about flag flying restrictions
A police officer is injured after Loyalist protesters attacked police lines, at the Albertbridge Road near the nationalist Short Strand area of Belfast
Police arm up with baton guns before the demonstrations near Belfast city centre
Police try to separate Loyalist flags protesters and nationalists after they clashed
Loyalists wave a placard and flags during a protest in the city centre. A second peace rally is to be held outside Belfast City Hall tomorrow. It is not suggested these protestors have anything to do with the conflicts
Riot police faced hundreds of masked men last night around the lower Newtownards Road area - showing there is no sign of a halt to the protests.
The turmoil over the past five weeks has been some of the most sustained in the British-ruled province since a 1998 peace deal ended 30 years of conflict between Catholic Irish nationalists seeking union with Ireland and Protestant loyalists determined to remain part of the United Kingdom.
Exposing a deep vein of discontent with the peace deal, loyalists have held nightly protests since councillors voted last month to end a century-old tradition of flying the British union flag every day over the city hall.
A female police officer was injured in protests on the Albert Bridge Road. Here, an ambulance is on scene
Violence: Loyalists clash with PSNI officers in East Belfast
Violent protests continued in Northern Ireland as loyalists renewed their anger against restrictions on flying the union flag from Belfast City Hall
Police officers in riot gear help an injured colleague during rioting in east Belfast
Loyalist flags protesters and nationalists clash near Belfast city centre
Today it was announced senior politicians from Belfast, Dublin and London are to meet next week to discuss the protests.
Stormont First Minister Peter Robinson and his deputy Martin McGuinness will join Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers and Ireland's Tanaiste (deputy leader) Eamonn Gilmore.
Mr Gilmore said: 'This violence is being orchestrated and those behind it are known criminals, intent on creating chaos.
'This has nothing to do with real issues around flags and identity in a shared society, which are the subject of intensive political discussions at present.'
Ms Villiers urged restraint.
'We can't afford to have these continuing protests damage our economy and destroy potential jobs for Northern Ireland's young people,' she said.
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said there should be a cross-community response.
'But there can be no going back. The tiny minorities who want to cling to the past must be rejected. Sectarianism must be tackled and ended.'
Ulster Unionist Party leader Mike Nesbitt has co-chaired a unionist forum designed to address grievances.
'Street violence from so-called unionists, no matter what age, advances nothing but the cause of Irish nationalism. It is high time those involved in rioting realised they are destroying the very cause the hope to promote.'
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