Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin observed the 23rd anniversary of an agreement that ended most of the three decades of sectarian violence over British rule in Northern Ireland Saturday by warning against a return to the prolonged unrest.
His warning came after at least 14 police officers were injured in clashes with protesters in Northern Ireland’s capital of Belfast Friday night, the eighth consecutive day of clashes between police and unionists and nationalists in the British province.
"We owe it to the agreement generation and indeed future generations not to spiral back to that dark place of sectarian murders and political discord," Martin said in a statement to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
Northern Ireland police said protesters in Belfast hurled gasoline bombs and stones at police and hijacked a car that was set on fire and pushed towards police lines.
Clashes also took place in the northern town of Coleraine and in Newtownabbey, a northern suburb of Belfast, police said.
The violence first erupted more than a week ago amid rising tensions linked to Brexit.
On Thursday, the U.S. joined leaders from Northern Ireland, Britain and Ireland in voicing concern over the renewed violence in Northern Ireland.
