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Watch in full: Iain Dale interviews Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis
8 April 2021, 19:27
Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis speaks to LBC
Watch in full: Iain Dale interviews Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis amid disorder in the province.
Brandon Lewis was speaking to LBC's Iain Dale after a week of unrest in mainly loyalist areas.
Mr Lewis arrived in Northern Ireland on Thursday following violent scenes at a Belfast interface on Wednesday evening, to speak to political and faith leaders.
He said there can be no justification for the violence.
Speaking to LBC Mr Lewis said it was "tragic" that scenes in Belfast appeared to show "children being encouraged by adults to get involved in hooliganism."
Iain Dale asked if he accepted that the Northern Ireland protocol was responsible, in part, for the unrest happening at the moment.
Mr Lewis said nothing could legitimise what has happened over the last few days, but there were a number of issues that have "created tensions."
Earlier Mr Lewis held talks with First Minister Arlene Foster from the DUP and deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill from Sinn Fein to discuss the unrest.
In the latest scenes, which took place in west Belfast on Wednesday night, a bus was hijacked and set on fire, petrol bombs, masonry and fireworks were thrown at police officers and a peace wall gate was set alight.
