1886 Belfast riots
Encyclopedia
The 1886 Belfast riots were a series of intense riots
Riot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...

 that occurred in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

 during the summer and autumn of 1886.

Background

In the late 19th century Catholics began to migrate in large numbers to the prosperous Protestant city of Belfast in search of work. By the time of the riots Catholics made up over one-third of the population of the city. This migration brought with it sectarian tensions as Catholics and Protestants competed for jobs. As the minority, Catholics found themselves discriminated against in this area and were kept at the lower end of the labour market.

At this time there was a real possibility that the British government would establish a devolved
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...

 Irish parliament (see: Irish Home Rule Movement
Irish Home Rule Movement
The Irish Home Rule Movement articulated a longstanding Irish desire for the repeal of the Act of Union of 1800 by a demand for self-government within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The movement drew upon a legacy of patriotic thought that dated back at least to the late 17th...

). Belfast Catholics believed that a devolved Irish government would be sympathetic to their situation and end the discrimination. Belfast Protestants believed this too and feared the end of their privileged position.

In April 1886 Prime Minister William Gladstone introduced a home rule bill. On 8 June the bill was defeated in the House of Commons.

Riots

The introduction of the bill led to renewed sectarian tensions in Belfast. On 3 June a Catholic navvy
Navvy
Navvy is a shorter form of navigator or navigational engineer and is particularly applied to describe the manual labourers working on major civil engineering projects...

 sneered to a Protestant co-worker that under an Irish government Protestants would never get hired, even in Belfast. This represented the very worst fears of Protestants towards Home Rule and the story quickly spread throughout Belfast. This led to clashes between Protestant and Catholic labourers on the shipyards.

The riots intensified on 8 June, the day that the home rule bill was defeated in parliament. Celebrations were held throughout the city to celebrate the defeat. Some of those celebrating attacked Catholic homes and businesses. The police found themselves unable to cope with the situation. Reinforcements were sent in from other parts of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

. Most of the reinforcements were Catholic. A rumour that the reinforcements were sent by Gladstone to punish Belfast Protestants for opposing Home Rule spread throughout the city. It was encouraged by popular preachers such as Hugh Hanna
Hugh Hanna
Hugh Hanna , nicknamed Roaring Hanna, was an evangelical preacher in Belfast known for his anti-Catholicism.-Biography:...

. The rioters thus began to attack the police, and later soldiers. Running battles between security forces and rioters lasted until 14 June.

On 22 June the reinforcements were sent home by the city government, although some were kept as trouble was expected on 12 July
The Twelfth
The Twelfth is a yearly Protestant celebration held on 12 July. It originated in Ireland during the 18th century. It celebrates the Glorious Revolution and victory of Protestant king William of Orange over Catholic king James II at the Battle of the Boyne...

, the date of annual Protestant celebrations. Trouble did indeed erupt on the 12th and, contrary to the expectations of the government, the police found themselves overwhelmed by the Protestant attackers. Reinforcements had to be sent into Belfast again and the threat of over 2,000 police officers and soldiers descending on the city caused the rioters to quit by the 14th.

On the last Saturday of July Reverend Hugh Hanna held his annual outing for the Protestant children of Belfast. This outing usually involved a trip out to the country with marching and drum along the way. Hanna agreed to comply with the city's request that he forego the drumming and marching due to the tense situation. As the outing made its way through Belfast disappointed local Protestants joined in to march with their own drums and anti-Catholic banners. Drunken marchers deliberately provoked the Catholics by marching into Catholic areas. Taunting quickly gave way to heavy street fighting between Catholics, Protestants and police. Bloody clashes on a par with the riots in June lasted for a few days, but low-intensity rioting continued until September.

Officially thirty-one people were killed in the riots, although George Foy, who made surgical reports on the riots, reckoned that the real death toll may have been as high as fifty. Hundreds were injured. Over four hundred arrests were made. An estimated £90,000 worth of property damage was incurred, and local economic activity was significantly compromised.
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