POLITICIANS have condemned those responsible for organising an illegal protest at the Lanark Way interface that led to violence on Wednesday night.

Police said officers were deployed to the Springfield Road and Lanark Way areas from around 5pm after a small loyalist protest against the Northern Ireland Protocol obstructed the road.

Soon after, police said disorder broke out involving both sides of the community which continued for several hours with items being burnt on the roads and missiles thrown at police officers and police vehicles. 

There were no reports of injuries and calm was restored to the area by around 10.30pm.   

Two males aged 12 and 15 were arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour and have since been released on bail as police enquiries continue. 

Speaking from the scene West Belfast Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan said that political unionism needs to call for an immediate end to these dangerous and provocative stunts at interfaces before someone is seriously hurt.

“I condemn the trouble on the Springfield Road and on Lanark Way," he said. “There is absolutely no place in our society for this needless violence and local residents deserve to live in peace.

“This trouble is a direct consequence of the dangerous and irresponsible stunt organised by loyalists at the Lanark Way interface this evening.

“This so-called anti-Protocol protest was deliberately organised at this interface with the sole intention of heightening tensions and causing trouble. 

“I am calling on political unionism to show some leadership and call for an immediate end to all protests at interface areas before someone is seriously injured and they should tone down the provocative and dishonest rhetoric.

“Sinn Féin elected representatives and activists will remain on the ground this evening and offer our support to local residents.”

SDLP West Belfast representative Paul Doherty was on the ground engaging with local young people.

“The scenes in West Belfast this evening have been highly regrettable. I went to the area to appeal to our young people not to engage in anti-social and dangerous behaviour that does nothing but cause misery to the long-suffering people of this community and put their own future at risk. 

“There can be no excuse for attacking police officers who are doing their best to keep the community safe. The young people taking part in these incidents are likely to end up with a criminal record or worse and I would urge them to think twice before they act."

People Before Profit Cllr Matt Collins, who last night joined community workers at the interface called for Unionist politicians engaged in “whipping up tensions” over the protocol to be “robustly challenged”. 

"Last night I joined youth workers to appeal for calm in the area after a small loyalist protest at the interface. The vast majority of people across all communities do not want to see a repeat of events some months ago. 

"Unionist leaders who whip up tension, only to then wash their hands of trouble when it emerges, should be robustly challenged.

"Now more than ever, we need to see unity and a serious effort to build a society which empowers working class communities, rather than the rank, manipulative division which is worsened by those in power."

Back in April there was serious violence at the same interface after loyalist protests linked to the Protocol.