13 days left...

I've never heard bombs before. But after last night I know how to differentiate the sound between a "blast bomb," a petrol bomb, and just fireworks.

When you're just sitting around watching Phantom of the Opera of tv and hear about 6 blasts in a row, that's when you get up and go look out the window. And when people are coming out of the Bethany Chippy to look at what's going on...you know that you should also go figure out what's going on. This weekend I've learned to follow the locals...well, the ones who aren't doing the actual rioting.

So, I'll begin with Friday...that's partially what has led up to last night's chaos.

July 12th is the day where Belfast commemorates the victory of William of Orange at the Battle of the Boyne, celebrating this Protestant ascendancy to the throne. The Orange Order Lodges march alongside bands and drum corps (as on the 1st of July), carrying banners depicting different Protestant themes and pride for their townships and orders. The major parade goes by for nearly two hours, with bands playing hymns, songs of patriotism, and songs of the Orange Order. The parades throughout the day are regulated by the Parades Commission of Northern Ireland that ruled this year that certain groups would not be allowed to pass through a particular piece of the road on their return route in Ardoyne, in North Belfast. Because of this ruling, there was a lot of anger on the part of the Orange Order, and this resulted in lasting tension throughout the weekend.

Friday's regulations on the parades sparked reaction by some of the bands playing "The Sash"--an Orange Order song--while passing in front of a predominant Catholic church within the city, where only hymns or a drum click are to be played. The regulations also sparked protest on marching through the area in Ardoyne. While police blocked the road, the crowds began to riot, attacking the police force with anything they could, including but not limited to: fireworks, bricks, and ceremonial swords. To read about this particular rioting click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-23295307

While this was raging on another side of the city, we were standing on Templemore Avenue, close to home for us, waiting for the East Belfast Orangemen to march by to finish their day's journey. We waited nearly an extra hour and a half for the bands, while we heard rumors of rioting on the bridge, and that all the bands were stopped unil those in North Belfast would be permitted to pass. After some time, they finally began to come by, with a lot of gusto in their playing if I must say so myself. But as they passed, we began to notice that some were stained with paint...some had hands that were black. These were signs of the paint bombs that had been thrown at the marchers, and that some had thrown some things back themselves. We didn't witness what had gone on, but rather on of the other roomies, another American from Drew University was witness to a riot against the police who did nothing to stop the paint or other objects being thrown at the bands. She came back saying she saw people throwing anything they could, punching riot screens, trying to tip police land rovers, and climbing on top of police barriers. She told us about those who stood watching, with an older woman who was crying, and some who tried to step in and pull people away from the police.

We missed all of this, and made our way inside after the bands passed, and could sit watching a movie as the rioting apparently continued in other parts of the city. This was all we knew, and the city seemed to go back to "business as usual" for the rest of the holiday weekend. We went to the movies (btw...Monsters Inc. University is awesome), walked around city centre, and enjoyed a weekend of beautiful weather. Apparently we did this while others continued to riot each night against the police force, injuring 44 police from Friday to Sunday.

And then Monday, a holiday still for us, as we went to the Titanic Museum and got to experience a piece of Belfast history, as it was built here and staffed by many from Belfast. The museum is a really cool and hands-on place that not only focuses on the Titanic itself, but how it fits into the history of Belfast as a city. After this, we walked home, seeing one police land rover standing on the lower Newtownards Road. We settled in for an evening of super classy move watching...and now we're back to the beginning.

So Monday night...around 6pm...still light outside, and we see smoke coming up a few blocks down. We had to go for a wee nosy toward the noise in trying to figure out what was going on, as police rovers rushed to the scene. We decided to then rely on the news instead of getting ourselves down too close, and 45 minutes later learned that there had been "at least 4 blast bombs and several petrol bombs" thrown at police from the Nationalists. This followed the report that a pipe bomb had been thrown at police in North Belfast around 5pm. After a while and the simmering down to the point that I changed the channel to some "classic American television" (meaning How I Met Your Mother, New Girl, The Mindy Project etc.) we heard a small blast, and then were stunned at a blast bomb that got us out of our chairs. Note: it sounds really dumb when I say that we went outside to see what was going on after we heard the bomb really close to us...but hey, that's what we did. Meeting up with a congregation member from the church, we were talked through what the police were doing with the blockade, and that the rioting tended to follow the same patterns as they attempt to move them further up the road, away from the Catholic/Protestant divide.

As we stood watching the commotion, there were lots of people coming out to join the crowd watching, as well as many teenagers in hoodies, some with their faces already covered, ready to join the action. Once we saw a bin on fire, bricks and glass thrown at the rovers, and the police force on the move, much of the crowd watching around us began to run, so we ran too. We made it up to the apartment where we could then watch the chaos at the blockade continue as the game of cat and mouse seemed to happen up and down the road, until finally around 12:30 or 12:45 the crowds and police were all dispersed.

It's amazing to stand and listen to people talk about what's going on...you get a biased history lesson that involves old stories of police, talk of who's who, and even a call that the paramilitaries are needed in this situation, but that they're getting money to stay out of it. When you haven't experienced it all, it is extremely hard to grasp why this would even be an option, and why this is even happening in the first place. As we were watching the action and inaction here we were also getting reports of issues in Portadown, a rumor of something in Dundonald and Newtownards, more talk of the Crumlin Road, and issues that seemed to be ranging across the whole city against the police force. To read more about it go here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-23322091

There was something brewing last night that was unnerving, and while in our apartment, we feel safe, there is clearly a lot going on here that we aren't used to. The crowds gather and say that by Northern Irish standards, these attacks and riots are nothing...but I think they're like the murals. There are clearly underlying issues that are plastered across buildings, yet people can walk by them without a glance every day. These riots clearly point to violence and underlying issues that people can get chips and watch, or walk by without a glance. This is a strange reality, as I still notice the real eerie images that stare through some of the murals, and as I saw hooded teenagers lined up behind a burning dumpster throwing bricks.

I don't understand it, and I don't think that I ever will. What will make people see the murals? What will make people see that this isn't the way to solve things?

As Joanna and I were walking in from town the other day we were discussing peace work here, and how it is like there is someone sweeping up broken glass, but there is someone else following them throwing glass, and litter, and paint on the path they just swept, so another person comes behind to sweep, and then another to litter, and it goes on...the cycle and perpetual nature of it here is so hard to step in and break.



Some random thoughts:
- the stairwell is back to smelling like sunscreen, ah...the comfortability of something that is consistent
- it hit like 81 degrees fahrenheit here...that just doesn't happen.
- don't order scallops at the chippy...it's a lie!
- Safe Haven is an excellent Nicholas Sparks movie to watch instead of attending Bonfires that uphold sectarianism far beyond what I would want to support in any way
- the Titanic Museum has a ride in it...but it's definitely not Disney caliber
- I'm using a pen right now that has a giant sheep covered in clovers on it...I love Irish souvenirs!
- TJ Maxx is TK Maxx here...let that blow your mind a little.
- I didn't have a cup of tea all weekend and it feels weird
- Songs that kids sing on the bus here are way funnier
- I have 9 more work days here, including today...strange.

Until next time, cheers!