Violence Mars Day of Protest in N. Ireland
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BELFAST, Northern Ireland — Protestant militants threw firebombs and stones at police, burned cars and cut power to hundreds of homes today in a 24-hour general strike protesting the mainly Roman Catholic Irish Republic’s new voice in this British province.
About 85% of workers failed to show up for work in major industries as roadblocks set up by the protesters brought traffic around Belfast to a virtual halt and sealed off some rural towns.
Part of a crowd of about 5,000 people broke away from a noon-time rally beside City Hall and began burning some cars and breaking the windows of others in the main business district. Police, firefighters and army troops quickly broke up the rioters.
Police reported widespread but sporadic incidents of violence and intimidation throughout the province.
The Rev. Ian Paisley and James Molyneaux, leaders of the two main Protestant parties, called the “Day of Action” in an effort to get Thatcher to scrap her Nov. 15 agreement with the Irish Republic.
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