[Jiggly]

There have been tense relations in Northern Ireland between those that want Northern Ireland to stay separate to the the Republic of Ireland, and remain as part of the United Kingdom, and those who would like to see a 'united Ireland'. Starting in the 1960s, the conflict in the Northern Ireland known as 'The Troubles', continued on for almost 30 years, with over 3,500 deaths. This war included the building of "peace walls" between the opposing sides, and the intervention of the British Army (still the army's longest ever operation). In the 1998, a pair of agreements were signed (known as the Good Friday Agreement), considered to be the end of the conflict. However, on the 29th of March 2021, violence has spurred up again in Londonderry, reigniting the fight after 23 years of relative peace, with Brexit cited to be one of the reasons.

Code:

More than 50 police officers have been hurt and 10 people arrested as a result of rioting over the past 10 days, in several towns and cities across Northern Ireland. The UK and Irish prime ministers have condemned the violence, and Northern Ireland's government met on Thursday to call for an "immediate and complete end" to the unrest. All Northern Ireland's main parties have condemned the rioting, although they are divided over its causes. Violence involving gangs of people as young as 12 started on 29 March in an area of Londonderry that is loyalist - in favour of keeping Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom. Since then, there have been protests and rioting on a near-nightly basis in a number of towns and cities, including Belfast, Carrickfergus, Ballymena and Newtownabbey. The rioting has largely seen loyalist youths throwing bricks, fireworks and petrol bombs at lines of police officers and vehicles. But on Wednesday night the fighting escalated into sectarian clashes over a so-called peace wall in west Belfast that divides predominantly Protestant loyalist communities from predominantly Catholic nationalist communities who want to see a united Ireland. A gate that divides the two was smashed open and, during several hours of disorder police officers and a press photographer were attacked and a bus was hijacked and burned. Parts of Northern Ireland are split along sectarian lines, 23 years after a peace deal largely ended Northern Ireland's Troubles - which lasted almost 30 years and cost the lives of more than 3,500 people.

I am not Irish, and cannot pretend to know all of the facts, so my description here is written to the best of my understanding/what I think SLs international audience will be familiar with. If you know more, or have seen I've missed some key things out, please share below.

[Spooky]

Wow this is the first i’m hearing of this, but I guess it’s not too surprising. There was a lot of push for Brexit once it happened, but maybe the Support could get pushed up again for Ireland breaking off and becoming its own.

[Jiggly]

Wow this is the first i’m hearing of this, but I guess it’s not too surprising. There was a lot of push for Brexit once it happened, but maybe the Support could get pushed up again for Ireland breaking off and becoming its own.

Well, this is part of the whole problem. Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland, did NOT want Brexit. The Northern Irish mostly voted to remain within the EU. The fighting is currently between the Irish who want to stay in the UK, and those who don't. My opinion is that they all need to take a chill pill. I'd be sad to see NI leave the UK (since the UK would no longer exist) but I'd want it to be their choice.

For reference: Scotland also had their own referendum before the Brexit vote happened. Scotland voted to stay part of Great Britain.