18 Objects Thrown At British Riot Cops By Northern Irish Protestors [PHOTOS]

The yearly Orange Parade in the Northern Ireland city of Belfast often pits members (and loosely affiliated groups) of the Irish Republican Army against the "Loyalists" in the parade and British riot police .

The violence has often been described as sectarian in nature, due to the religious affiliations of the groups, Catholic and Protestant, respectively.

This year incredible violence erupted, and police were caught in the middle of it.

During his coverage, Reuters photographer Cathal McNaughton collected 18 objects that were thrown by protesters and photographed them in the hands of people from the local community.

From the Reuters description of the photo essay:

More than 3,500 people were killed in Northern Ireland during 30 years of sectarian conflict that pitted Catholic nationalists seeking union with Ireland against British security forces and mainly Protestant loyalists determined to stay in the United Kingdom. Now, 15 years after a peace agreement to end what locals call "The Troubles," deep-rooted enmity between the communities still sometimes leads to outbreaks of violence.

A builder's chisel

Yellow Snooker ball

An unexploded firework

A golf ball

A 2-by-4 mahogany post

A rubber ball wrapped in insulating tape

Drain pipe section

Golf clubs

A piece of stone masonry

Broken bottle of booze

A broken piece of mirror

The remains of a 'petrol bomb' (Molotov cocktail)

An umbrella

Another billiards ball

A hammer

A child's baton

A can of lager

McNaughton then arranged all the items on a sheet