1997 nationalist riots in Northern Ireland

"Drumcree, The Garvaghy Road July 1997" by military artist David Rowlands, oil on canvas, 91cm x 61 cm, painting owned by the 1st Battalion (The Cheshires) The Mercian Regiment which depicts British soldiers during the rioting on Garvaghy Road

Date	6–11 July 1997
Location	Irish nationalist districts of Northern Ireland
Result	Several Orange Order parades re-routed or cancelled

Belligerents

Irish nationalist rioters

Provisional IRA

INLA

United Kingdom

Commanders and leaders

Kevin McKenna (IRA)

Ronnie Flanagan (RUC)
Rupert Smith (BA)

Casualties and losses

1 civilian killed
over 100 people injured,
117 arrested

62 officers injured,
at least 3 soldiers injured,
some armoured vehicles badly damaged or destroyed

One loyalist militant was killed by a pipe bomb he was handling in an indirectly related incident

United Kingdom

From 6 to 11 July 1997 there were mass protests, fierce riots and gun battles in Irish nationalist districts of Northern Ireland. Irish nationalists/republicans, in some cases supported by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), attacked the police (Royal Ulster Constabulary – RUC) and British Army. The protests and violence were sparked by the decision to allow the Orange Order (a Protestant, unionist organization) to march through a Catholic/nationalist neighbourhood of Portadown. Irish nationalists were outraged by the decision and by the RUC's aggressive treatment of those protesting against the march. There had been a bitter dispute over the march for many years.

It was the last spell of widespread violence in Northern Ireland before the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in April 1998. The security forces were attacked hundreds of times by rioters throwing stones and petrol bombs, and by IRA members with rifles and grenades. They fired more than 2,500 plastic bullets at rioters and exchanged gunfire with the IRA. More than 100 civilians and 65 security force personnel were injured. There were many complaints of police brutality and a 13-year-old boy went into a coma after being struck on the head by a plastic bullet. Hundreds of burning vehicles were used to block roads. The security forces had to withdraw entirely from some nationalist areas of Belfast. The IRA's involvement in the clashes was its last major action during its 27-year campaign. The paramilitary organization declared its last ceasefire on 19 July.

...
Wikipedia