The Ulster Unionist representative on the Policing Board, Mike Nesbitt MLA, said:
"That riot did not just happen. Someone planned it, someone encouraged people onto the streets. I challenge them to explain a strategy that portrays loyalists and unionists as law-breakers, prepared to attack the PSNI, injure officers and frankly take the focus off Sinn Féin and the republican movement.
"The history of street violence is unambiguous. It does nothing to advance our cause. It is a huge mistake and should not be repeated.”