Northern Ireland hit by fourth night of violence

(Vatican Radio) Unionist rioters injured at least 27 people last night in Northern Ireland during the fourth night of protests over restrictions on the traditional July Orange Order marches, which often pass through Catholic neighbourhoods. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden expressed his "deep concern" about the violence during a phone call with Northern Ireland's leaders from both sides.

The Northern Ireland Parades Commission, which regulates the marches, this year forbid Unionist Orange Order from marching through a predominantly Catholic area on the evening of July 12^th, sparking the violence from the Unionist side.

“Actually, the Parades Commission is doing an impossible job trying to come up with as impartial ruling as it can in the context where this is heavily contested,” said Robin Wilson, a Belfast-based political analyst.

He told Vatican Radio the violence will continue until an authentic reconciliation is reached in the province.

“While we’ve had much less violence since the paramilitary ceasefires of 1994 than we had before the ceasefires took place, but nevertheless the Good Friday Agreement did not lead to reconciliation in Northern Ireland,” he said. “We sorely need structural reforms to the institutions that have been established since the agreement so that the they symbolize and encourage and stimulate and incentivize moves towards reconciliation, rather than, as has been the case, consolidate sectarian division.”

Listen to the interview by Charles Collins with Robin Wilson: