Petrol bombs thrown at Northern Irish police on eve of Biden visit

Police said that on Monday, the day before U.S. President Joseph Biden visits Belfast, several masked individuals attacked a police vehicle with petrol bombs and other objects at a parade in Londonderry that was against the Good Friday peace accord.

Four young people were seen throwing petrol bombs towards an armored police car that was engulfed in flames in a Reuters photo taken in Creggan, a neighborhood that is primarily home to Irish nationalists.

Police reported that nobody was hurt as the mob dispersed shortly after.

On Monday, the Good Friday Agreement’s signing, which mostly put an end to three decades of sectarian slaughter in Northern Ireland, celebrated its 25th anniversary. Little groups who oppose peace are still committing random acts of violence.

The threat of domestic terrorism in Northern Ireland was raised to serious by Britain’s MI5 intelligence service late last month, which indicates that an attack is very likely.

Since its creation in 2010, it has largely been in the second highest category. This is because it was increased as a result of the significant injuries suffered by an off-duty police officer who was shot by the new IRA, one of the smaller dissident militant groups.

Prior to continuing his trip to Ireland for another three days, Biden is scheduled to arrive in Belfast on Tuesday and deliver a speech at a Belfast university on Wednesday.