The Ups and Downs of Peace.

Sometimes it's hard to believe all this is happening less than 100 km of where I'm sitting.

UPS.
This from the BBC.

The police have praised those who worked behind the scenes in Londonderry to ensure the annual Apprentice Boys parade passed off without incident.

Thousands took part in the event which commemorates the 1688 Siege of Derry.

PSNI Inspector Trevor McKeown said participants and spectators alike had felt "welcomed in the city".

Apprentice Boys Governor Jim Brownlee said the local parades model worked because an understanding had been developed on all sides.

About 6,000 Apprentice Boys, 146 bands and thousands of their supporters took part in the demonstration on Saturday afternoon.

They marched a one mile route around the city's historic walls and laid a wreath at the war memorial in the Diamond.

Inspector McKeown said: "The atmosphere has been good, people have been happy, people have felt welcomed in the city, that's spectators and participants alike.

There has been a heavy security presence in Shipquay Street in Londonderry
There was a heavy security presence in Shipquay Street in Londonderry
"Everything has gone off well".

The inspector was asked about the atmosphere of the Derry parade, compared to the violence seen the night before in Belfast, when more than 50 police officers were injured during loyalist protests against a republican anti-internment march.

'Successful'
The PSNI officer said: "There isn't one template if you like, that fits all and it's very hard to talk about other areas, but certainly I know that from here, people are working tremendously hard not only today, but behind the scenes, to make this a very peaceful parade.

"What has just happened is very much the fruit of their labours."

Mr Brownlee, who led the wreath-laying ceremony, said: "I'm not going to dictate as to what other areas should do. We're concentrating on what we do here."

"What we do here is good, what we do here has been successful, and we don't want to rock any boats."

Following a religious service in St Columb's Cathedral, there was re-enactment of the Siege of Derry in a pageant near Craigavon Bridge.

The event commemorates the ending of the Siege of Derry in August 1689, when 13 young apprentices who were supporters of the Protestant King William III, closed the gates of the walled city to stop the advancing forces of the Catholic King James II's army.


DOWNS
This also from the BBC

Northern Ireland Chief Constable Matt Baggott condemned the rioters.

The number of police officers injured during loyalist protests against a republican parade in central Belfast is 56.

The police fired 26 plastic bullets and made seven arrests on Friday evening amid sustained rioting in Royal Avenue.

Northern Ireland's Chief Constable Matt Baggott described the violence as "mindless anarchy" and "thuggery".

He praised his officers, saying they had put their lives on the line to protect the rule of law.

"I want to, as ever, commend my colleagues for their immense courage last night. I have no doubt whatsoever that they prevented that anarchy from spreading and without that courage, many lives may well have been lost," Mr Baggott said.

Officers hospitalised
He added that those who attacked police had "no intention of peaceful protest".

Bricks and fireworks were thrown at officers, and they were also attacked with scaffolding poles and paving stones ripped from the city's streets.

A PSNI spokeswoman said four of the injured officers needed hospital treatment and one of them remained in hospital.

Injured police officer on the ground during loyalist protest in Belfast
Dozens of police officers were injured during loyalist protests against a republican parade
In addition to plastic bullets, police also used water cannon and dogs during the disorder.

The seven people who have been arrested were detained on suspicion of offences including riotous behaviour, disorderly behaviour and hijacking.

Mr Baggott said: "We made arrests last night where we could, you can be assured that many more will follow."

He added: "I have no doubt whatsoever that significant custodial sentences will be handed down in the weeks and months that follow. The prisons will be bulging, sadly."

Shops damaged
Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers described the violence and attacks on police as "shameful".

She said what had happened was a "hugely regrettable step backwards" after Northern Ireland's recent successes at hosting the G8 summit and World Police and Fire Games.

The trouble began when loyalists staged a demonstration in the city centre, against a republican parade that was due to pass along Royal Avenue, one of Belfast's main shopping districts.

Theresa Villiers MP: "It is outrageous that police officers were attacked."
The protesters attacked the police with bricks and bottles as they waited for the parade to arrive.

Police said they came under heavy and sustained attack by crowds "intent on creating disorder".

A number of parked vehicles were set on fire in the nearby North Street area and a number of shops and a pub were damaged during the violence.

'Heavy-handed'
Officers also said they had reports that two members of the public had been injured.
Some loyalists accused the police of being heavy-handed.

The commander in charge of the policing operation, ACC George Hamilton, said significant numbers of people began to gather in Royal Avenue at about 17:30 BST on Friday.

"There was absolutely no organisation, no coordination and no leadership around any of those protests. We saw numbers swell to around 1,200 people and it was evident that many of them had violent intent.

"There was no attempt whatsoever that we could see of any organised or coordinated protest activity in line with that which had been notified to the Parades Commission."

ACC Hamilton said police stopped the republican marchers in North Queen Street, while officers "faced huge personal risk" trying to clear protesters from Royal Avenue to make it passable for the parade.

However, he said that after a 25 minute delay the parade organisers decided to avoid Royal Avenue and take a different route towards Carrick Hill, Millfield and into west Belfast.

"The police did not reroute the parade away from Royal Avenue and in fact we were within minutes of having Royal Avenue cleared to allow the parade to go through," ACC Hamilton said.

Major operation
The parade and the protesters later confronted each other about 100 metres apart and what the police have described as serious disorder took place in the Carrick Hill, Peter's Hill and Millfield areas, just north of the city centre.

The parade then passed into west Belfast after protesters were pushed back towards the Shankill area.

Police put in place a major operation ahead of the parade, involving hundreds of officers and dozens of vehicles.

The march, which started in north Belfast, marked the introduction of internment in 1971.

The Parades Commission had given permission for six loyalist protests against the parade. Numbers were restricted at four of them.