(ROUGH CUT ONLY - NO REPORTER NARRATION)<br/> <br />Police in Northern Ireland came under attack for a fifth straight night on Monday (January 7) as the province's police chief urged politicians and parents to act to halt the riots on Belfast streets.<br/> <br />The violence is some of the worst in the British-controlled province since a 1998 peace deal ended 30 years of conflict that pitted Catholics seeking union with Ireland against security forces and Protestants keen to remain British.<br/> <br />The unrest was triggered by a decision by Belfast city council - which is dominated by pro-Irish members - to end the century-old tradition of flying the British flag from City Hall every day.<br/> <br />The council met on Monday for the first time since taking the decision last month and a protest passed off peacefully outside City Hall.<br/> <br />But later, in an eastern part of the capital where rival Protestant and Catholic communities live side by side, a crowd about 200-strong threw petrol bombs, fireworks and paint bombs at police who responded with water canon.<br/> <br />Earlier on Monday, Northern Ireland's police chief appealed to political organisers and parents of youths involved in the violence - some of whom were as young as 10 - to rein it in.
