Northern Ireland is experiencing its worst bout of unrest in years. It is one of the adverse—but foreseeable—consequences of Brexit. Fueled by their concern over the future of Northern Ireland, loyalists, who primarily identify as British and Protestant and want Northern Ireland to remain a part of the United Kingdom, are perpetrating most of the violence. The disputed constitutional status of Northern Ireland is the main axis of political expression in the country, and most loyalists vote for unionist parties that hold protecting the union as their highest priority.
The rioting first erupted on March 29 in Derry, a predominantly Catholic city that nonetheless occupies an exalted position in Protestant cultural memory. Loyalist youths clashed with police using bricks, fireworks, and gasoline bottle bombs. The fighting persisted for several nights before spreading to other towns and cities across Northern Ireland, including Belfast, Carrickfergus, Ballymena, and Newtownabbey. At least 88 police officers have been injured in the disorder.
