The sectarian violence began around 21:00 BST on the night of Monday 20 June, when a large number of
loyalists made their way from the
unionist Mount and Castlereagh Street areas to the
nationalist Short Strand enclave. This provoked a response from the nationalists. According to the PSNI, the riots are said to have been initially instigated by the
Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). The clashes saw various dangerous objects such as petrol bombs, bricks, bottles, fireworks and smoke bombs thrown by both sides in what police described as "high-level, life-threatening, organised, serious and sustained" attack by people "hell-bent on disorder". On the Tuesday night, during further clashes between unionists and nationalists, about 700 people were involved. A photographer was shot in the leg by a gunman firing from the nationalist area, which police blamed on
dissident republicans. By Wednesday 22 June, discussions were held between community representatives, politicians, and loyalist and nationalist figures. The result was for both sides to police their communities to avoid further violence. Later that night the area was largely peaceful despite unionist and nationalist groups – held back by community marshals – being involved for several hours in a stand-off at the Mountpottinger Road end of the Short Strand until around 01:30 on Thursday morning. Nationalist marshals intervened to stop nationalist youths attacking police Land Rovers. A 20-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon and assaulting police, which was followed on the Wednesday by the arrest of a 22-year-old man from West Belfast about the rioting. ==July riots==