Parade riot arrest tally rises to 74
Further arrests have been made over the recent rioting linked to parades, bringing the total number to 74.
Five more people were detained on Friday morning.
Two men aged 49 and 19 were arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour in the Portadown area of Co Armagh at around 12.30am.
They have been charged and are due to appear before Craigavon Magistrates’ Court later on Friday.
Just before 7am, a 23-year-old man was detained in the Hillsborough area of Co Down on suspicion of rioting.
A short time later police arrested two people on suspicion of riotous behaviour in north Belfast.
They were a 15-year-old boy and a 21-year-old man.
Police added that on 17 July a 13-year-old boy was arrested over suspected rioting.
A statement said: “He was released into the care of his family pending further enquiries by a PSNI Youth Diversion Officer.”
Seventy-one police officers – 68 from the PSNI and three drafted in from Great Britain – were injured during six consecutive nights of trouble since last Friday.
Police had blocked Orangemen from marching past the nationalist Ardoyne district in north Belfast on the Twelfth of July, in accordance with a Parades Commission ruling.
At least 128 petrol bombs, as well as blast bombs and other missiles, have been thrown during serious disorder across the city and in Portadown and Newtownabbey.
Police have fired 51 baton rounds to try and deal with the rioters.
